A Shine to It
by alienoctopus
Summary: Ivy Blythe has been in love with Fred Weasley for over a decade, but he's engaged to Katie Bell. Follow Ivy through the ups and downs of her life after the war, and ultimately, on her journey to love and happiness. AU where Fred lives and this OC exists.
1. Chapter 1

**I haven't updated anything in a long time. Sorry.**

**Life's been weird here, and I'm finally almost done with school. Well. Almost.**

**Anyway, all of my stories are going through an editing process in which I'm pretty much rewriting all of the stories I have posted. ****_Wild Girl_**** has some new perspective and better exposition. ****_The Butcher, The Baker, and the Extendable Ear Maker_**** now has an Austen-inspired narrator. The ****_Department of Mysteries_**** series, I think, might be abandoned in the near future.**

**So, if there's so much I'm rewriting, why post a new story?**

**Well, I wanted to, for one. This is going to be short, fluffy, and fun, as opposed to the bloody seriousness of ****_Wild Girl_**** and the "early novel" feel of ****_Butcher_****… . This is pretty much just getting me focused and not have writer's block so I can work on everything else.**

**This story is AU, a few years after the war, eventual Fred W./OC.**

**Also, this is rated M. For reasons that will be instantly obvious.**

**Thank you so much for reading, and enjoy! –alienoctopus**

**-0-**

Charlie Weasley felt his body melt into his mattress as he came inside the fit bird grinding on top of him. She moaned enthusiastically and, in a moment, landed on the mattress next to him.

"That was a good workout, Charlie." She said, trying to catch her breath.

"You're telling me. Merlin, Ivy. Where'd you learn to fuck like that?"

"I feel like you say that every time."

"Maybe it's just that good every time."

"I think it is." The girl—Ivy—planted her feet on the ground but remained seated on Charlie's old bed. Her breasts lifted with each inhale. "I wish we could smoke in here." She said, pulling her bra onto he shoulders.

"Well, then, we should have shagged at yours and not my mum's." Charlie said matter of factly.

"But this was so convenient. And you know that because it was secret, it was loads more fun."

"Ivy, we've been doing this in secret for, what, four years?"

Ivy smiled. She pulled her dark auburn hair into a long ponytail. "Well, it has to be secret. Otherwise your mum's going to go bonkers. She'll want us to get married."

"How come we've never tried that?"

"Marriage? Charlie, we've talked about this. This," she pointed to Charlie then back to herself, "is just fun. We have no romantic intention. We just like a good shag now and then."

Ivy stood up and looked at herself in Charlie's bedroom mirror. She rubbed smudged make-up from her eyes.

"Oh, I look horrid. I'm supposed to meet Fred and George for a quick lunch before we all come back here." She said as she wiped off the remnants of her lipstick from the corners of her mouth.

"Is George going to ask you to be his best man?" Charlie quipped.

Ivy laughed half-heartedly. "Besides the obvious fact that he's going to pick Fred, I'm surprised I'm even invited to his and Angie's wedding."

"Why do you say that?" Charlie asked. But he knew full well the answer. He knew that, though the three were always seen as the best of friends, the twins have been avoiding Ivy. And she had been avoiding them, as well.

"I haven't spoken to either of them since the engagement party."

Charlie didn't say anything to this. He knew the twins haven't been speaking to Ivy, for whatever reason.

"Do you think Freddie's going to ask Katie to marry him?" She asked.

Charlie looked at the girl—really looked at her.

There was no doubt that Ivy Blythe was drop dead gorgeous. She was leggy, but not too tall, curvy. Her skin was lightly tanned—enough so one could see tan lines from her clothing. Her auburn hair framed her heart-shaped face better than any portrait in Hogwarts. And her eyes—oh, they were a beautiful, deep green. Not emerald like Harry's eyes, but the green of a lush jungle. Ivy was absolutely stunning.

She knew this, too. She had known it since she started to develop those covetable curves, and she had the confidence to match.

But she didn't have it in that moment. She might has well have been a little girl asking if there was a boggart in her closet. She looked more vulnerable than she ever had—even more than the night she and Charlie started this affair.

_Charlie walked into the Leaky Cauldron. He wanted to be alone and he wanted a drink. The war was hard on everyone, and now that it was over, he needed a break._

_Unfortunately, he never found that solitude as he instantly recognized a sobbing girl in the corner of the bar._

_"Ivy?" He asked. She sniffled in response._

_Charlie sat down and held her hands away from her eyes. "Ivy, what's wrong?"_

_"They're dead." She said, more tears welling up._

_"Who?"_

_"My parents." She wept for another half hour before Charlie said another word._

_Ivy wiped her eyes. They felt dry now, and she couldn't find any more tears to soften them._

_"Mum died in the battle." She said. She took out a small mirror from her pocket and examined her makeup. "Dad killed himself when I told him. He said all this magic business was nonsense and then bam! His brains splattered all over the kitchen."_

_"Merlin. Ivy, I'm so sorry."_

_"No use being sorry about it." She said. Ivy smiled wide. It wasn't genuine, but it was good enough for her at that moment._

_"Can I buy you a drink?" Charlie asked. He didn't want to leave his little brothers' friend alone._

_"You can buy me every drink if it pleases you."_

_Charlie made two orders for Firewhiskey. And then, a few more until Ivy felt more talkative._

_"Where are Fred and George?" He asked. Charlie thought it odd that Ivy wasn't with her closest friends after what she had told him._

_"With their girlfriends." She said, bitterly. "Angie and George just got a place, so they're shagging all day and night. And Fred and Katie just started going out. _Finally_, Fred says."_

_"I always thought you'd end up with one of them."_

_"Clearly that's not going to happen. No one wants to shag me."_

_Then Charlie, being the nice guy he was, drunkenly said, "I'll shag you."_

He remembered all of those first nights with Ivy. They'd fuck and then she'd cry. She'd cry about her parents. She'd cry about Fred and George. But soon, she just cried about Fred, and then she stopped crying altogether. It never bothered Charlie; the way he saw it was that he was doing her a service. He was providing friendship, comfort, and mind-blowing sex.

But now, he forgot about the latter. Ivy looked at him desperately, begging for an answer.

"Depends." He said.

"On what?"

"On if you ever tell Fred you're in love with him."

Ivy's eyes diverted to the floor almost shamefully.

"Don't deny it. Not is it only obvious to everyone but the twins, but you've drunkenly told me this several times."

"I can't tell him that."

"Why not?"

"Because he's with Katie. I couldn't do that to them."

"But that's it!" Charlie exclaimed. "He's _with_ Katie. He's not _in love with _Katie. I've seen them, Ivy. Fred wants so much to have what George has with Angelina, but he's just lying to himself."

"Whether or not that's true, it doesn't matter. He doesn't love me."

"You don't know that."  
"I think it's pretty clear. We're best friends for almost ten years, and then suddenly I'm just an acquaintance. An old school mate. When I needed him—when I needed _them_, I became nobody."

"Then remind him that you're somebody."

Ivy bent over to grab her shirt and Charlie smacked her ass. She turned around quickly and squinted her eyes at him in mock anger. Charlie smirked at her.

"If Fred marries Katie, can we get married?" She asked jokingly.

"He's not going to marry Katie." Charlie said with conviction.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I'm older than you. Wiser. I know these sorts of things."

"Oh, really? Wiser, you say?" She asked cheekily as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Much. So much so that I'll even help you out."

"How?"

"In time, you'll know. When do you have to meet Fred and George?"

"In half hour."

"Perfect. Just enough time." He grinned as he slipped off Ivy's shirt for a second go.


	2. Teenager

**Well, the first chapter had a really good response! For the small handful of followers I have—how graphic do you want me to get in terms of the sex scenes? I want to write something that you want to read, so let me know.**

**So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, as well. -alienoctopus**

_Burnt out on melodrama, and teenage bitterness I can't seem to let go of._

Fred and George fiddled with the menus of the Muggle café they were meeting their friend at.

"It's not like Ivy to be late." George said after a few minutes.

"Are you joking? It's exactly like Ivy to be late. Especially lately." Fred said.

As soon as he made the remark, the door to the café rang, indicating a customer. Fred and George's attention was drawn to the sound.

Ivy stood there, in front of the door, surveying the café for her friends. Her hair was mussed up, her makeup was slightly smeared, and her lips were swollen.

George knew she had to be sleeping with someone as soon as he saw her. Fred, however, was oblivious.

"Hey, Ivy. Who have you been doing lately?" George asked. Ivy and Fred didn't notice his intentional slip.

"Nothing important." She muttered. She turned over the mug on the table and almost immediately the waitress filled it with coffee.

" I dunno how you drink that stuff." Fred said, indicating the coffee.

Ivy took a sip and made a face. The coffee was much more bitter than she had expected. "Me, neither."

The three friends were silent, until finally Ivy spoke up.

"How's Angie? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Neither have I! She's been very busy with practice lately. You'll see her tonight, though."

"What do you think this meeting at the Burrow is about?" Ivy asked.

"My guess is that Harry and Ginny are either now engaged or pregnant, they way they get on." Fred said.

Ivy smiled. Ginny Weasley had grown up in a household of all boys, so when she met Ivy, Ginny clinged to her. Ivy was happy to have a younger girl to influence.

"No way they're pregnant. Ginny's way too smart for that. She knows the spells." Ivy commented.

"No! I don't want to hear that about my little sister." The twins said in unison.

"I hope Harry's proposed to her. It's all Ginny's ever dreamed of, really." Ivy said.

"Before any of that, we invited you here for a reason." George said.

Ivy's insides squirmed with anticipation. What could the reason be? An apology for ignoring her for four years? Fred broke up with Katie? Maybe she really was going to be George's best man!

"Now, we know that you and Angie get on real well, but we thought it would be more fun for all of us if you go to the bachelor party instead."

Ivy felt disappointed. She didn't want to go to a party. She wanted her friends back.

"Are you sure Angie's ok with this?" She asked.

"Of course she is! We wouldn't have asked you if we didn't make sure it was ok with her first."

Ivy nodded, slightly disappointed.

But at least this was an opportunity for her to get closer to her friends.

Or not. Charlie would be there. Chances are, everyone would be raging drunk and she and Charlie would try to inconspicuously escape the party together to fuck each other senseless.

Ivy's loins burned at the thought. But as much fun as she and Charlie have, it's nothing compared to having her best friends back.

"Well, doesn't it sound like fun?" George asked.

"It sounds fantastic, Georgie. Thank you." The smile that Ivy offered was genuine.

"So, really, what have you been doing? I feel like we never see you." George asked.

That's because you don't ever see me, Ivy thought. "Well, Madame Rosmerta has me working more than I should be, it seems. I don't mind it, though."

"Are you ever going to open up a place of your own?" Fred asked.

Ivy snorted. "Doubt it. I can't keep money in my pocket, yet alone at Gringotts."

"You'll get there. It's all you've ever talked about."

It's not, though, Ivy thought. Ivy never thought she'd be a barmaid. She might have shown ambition to own her own bar when she first got the job, but that's because she wished for something better. She had hoped all throughout Hogwarts that her, Fred, and George would have stuck together for the rest of their lives.

It was clear that would never happen.

"I don't know how you guys did it." She commented.

"You know, we never see you in the shop." Fred said.

"I've been busy. Work, you know."

The twins nodded in agreement. Work had been busy for them. They never noticed, however. Every late night, every busy day—they loved what they did too much to ever notice when it was overwhelming. Ivy didn't feel the same passion about working at the Three Broomsticks.

"How's your family? I never get to see any Weasley's, save for Ginny every once in a while." Ivy lied. No one knew about her and Charlie.

"Mum's over the moon, with the wedding coming up." George grinned at the thought of his upcoming nuptials.  
"Dad's head of his department at the Ministry, finally!" Fred offered.

"That's brilliant!" Ivy smiled. If the head of the Weasley family were happy, that's what was really important.

"And of course, you know Bill and Fleur are having another baby."

"No surprise there. I bet they go at it like a couple of rabbits."

"First of all, that's disgusting. Secondly, yes. There's no doubt in my mind that they do." George laughed.

"Katie's doing well. She just got a desk job at the Ministry." Fred said.

"Oh, a parchment pusher?" Ivy said, the smallest hint of malice in her voice.

"For now, yeah. But she's happy to have the work."

"I bet." Ivy grinned. Maybe she wasn't as bad off as she thought.

"How have you been adjusting?" Fred asked.

"How do you mean?"  
"I mean, after the war. I know we haven't spoken in a while, and there's no doubt things have been rough."

"Yeah, things have been rough." Ivy said, angrily. "Not that it ever mattered."

"I'm so—" George started.

"I'm glad you guys have had a nice time _adjusting_. Your girlfriends, your business, your whole family. I'm glad it's been easy." She spat out. Ivy took out some Muggle money for her coffee and threw it down on the table.

"Glad it all worked out." She said in quiet anger before she stormed out to an alley to Apparate.

-0-

"Is everybody here?" Harry asked. He was seated in the living room of the Burrow, with his best girl, Ginny at his side.

"Like it even matters, Harry. Everyone knows why they're here." Ron said, eating off the cracker and cheese plate his mother had set out.

"It _does_ matter. This is important." Ginny said, glaring at Ron.

Harry and Ginny looked at the people around them. It was clear that everyone know why the young couple had called them there, but it was important to Ginny to have this moment. Harry looked at Ginny's hand to see that she was doing her best to hide it. He snuck his hand around hers so she didn't have to worry about it. He could feel the engagement ring around her slender finger.

It had been the same ring his father proposed to his mother with. It was found amongst Remus Lupin's possessions and Harry had kept it close to him, waiting for the right moment to propose to Ginny.

It might have taken him a while, almost four years, but Harry wanted to make sure that this was the right thing for Ginny.

And Ginny had made sure that being with Harry was what she needed.

"Where's Fred?" She asked Angelina.

"He, George, and Ivy met for coffee before they came here." She said. Katie narrowed her eyes at Ivy's name.

Suddenly, there was a deafening crack.

"Where's Ivy?" Ginny asked upon seeing Fred and George.

"She's not coming." George said sulkily.

"WHAT?! WHY NOT?" Ginny screamed.

"Fred got her mad."

Ginny was seething. She wanted all of her family and friends present when she announced her engagement.

"Then go get her." She said through gritted teeth.

"Go get who?" Charlie said once he bounded down the stairs, Ivy only a step behind him.

"Ivy!" Ginny grinned. George looked between his brother and his old friend, sensing something was going on.

"Now that we're all here," Ginny started, "Harry and I have something to announce."

Ginny beamed and looked at her family and friends. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley couldn't look happier. George and Angelina had their hands intertwined, recognized the love between herself and Harry.

A glowing, pregnant Fleur leaned on Bill, who gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

Hermione and Ron sat close together, knowing what was going to be said next.

Fred and Katie held hands, much like George and Angie, but it didn't look quite the same. It was almost like a children's playbook in which one is supposed to find seven differences between two similar photos.

And then there was Ivy and Charlie, who were burning energy between them. But Ivy looked happy to see Ginny.

Ginny was happy to see everyone.

"Well, get on with it!" Ron said impatiently.

Ginny wiggled her hand out of Harry's and lifted it to show everyone. "We're getting married!" She exclaimed.

Both Harry and Ginny were engulfed in a great hug from Mrs. Weasley.

_Ivy was in the Gryffindor common room playing Exploding Snap by herself when a young Ginny Weasley ran in through the portrait hole, sobbing._

_"Ginny, what's wrong?" Ivy asked, motioning for the girl to sit next to her. Ivy put her arm around the younger girl's shoulders._

_"Harry." She said inbetween sobs._

_"What did he do?"_

_"He's… he's in love with Cho Chang… He's never going to notice me, you know. I'm just Ron's little sister." This made Ginny cry even more._

_"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. One, you are not just Ron's little sister. You're a brilliant, beautiful witch. Harry's daft for not noticing it."_

_"I love him." She sniffed._

_"Ginny, if you love him, then you can wait for him. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, or next year, or a couple of years from now. If you're meant to be then it will happen. But you should enjoy being that brilliant witch you are until then."_

_But Ginny didn't want to listen. She wanted to cry._

_"Why does he have to ask her to the Yule Ball? Everyone knows she's dating Cedric."_

_"Cho Chang is dating Cedric? Cedric Diggory?"_

_"Since the end of last school year."_

_This information stung Ivy. She had dated Cedric, briefly, until the end of last school year._

_"Well, she's just awful. Harry will realize you're worlds better than she is."_

And Harry did eventually realize that Ginny Weasley was worlds better than any other girl.


	3. Winter

_I don't mind when she yells at my friends- I want to yell at my friends sometimes._

_"Be quiet!" A girl yelled as she helped herself into Fred and George's compartment on the Hogwarts Express._

_"Excuse you." Fred said._

_"Just be quiet, all right. If anyone asks, I've been in here the entire ride." The girl said, helping herself to a seat._

_Right then, the door to the compartment flew open. _

_"You! You bloody did this to my face!" An older boy yelled at the girl._

_The boy was not graced with a nice looking face, and it was made worse by the fact that his nose was turned upside down. Fred and George snorted at the sight._

_"How do you know it was me?" The girl asked innocently. "I'm just a first year, I don't know any magic."_

_"Because you look like the only girl dumb enough to do this."_

_"I've been here the entire ride."_

_"I saw you do it!" The boy exclaimed._

_"Marcus, I don't think it was her." A voice from behind the boy said._

_"I do!"_

_"It can't have been," George piped up, "she really has been here for the entire ride."_

_"If she's been here then what's her name?" The boy they now knew was named Marcus asked._

_The twins were dumbfounded._

_"Molly." Fred answered with the only name he could think of._

_"Great—what are their names?" Marcus asked the girl._

_"Er…" she looked at the twins, "Francis and Greg." She answered confidently. _

_Marcus narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine. But if I find out this was you, it's your death."_

_"Probably, if you keep breathing on me. Your mouth is absolutely foul-smelling."_

_Marcus lunged for the girl when the compartment door slammed shut, right on his face._

_"How'd you do that?" The girl asked the twins._

_"We have five siblings. You learn to shut doors." George said. "How'd you do that to his nose?"_

_"I found it in this book." The girl said, pulling about a book from her bag._

_"_1001 Magical Pranks and Jokes for You and Your Friends_. Sounds cheesy." Fred said._

_"It is, but it has some great bits of magic."_

_"Can we borrow this?" Fred asked._

_"Sure." She handed the book to him without even thinking. "My name's Ivy, by the way. But thanks for covering for me."_

_"We're Fred," George pointed to his brother, "and George."_

_"Oh! So that's what your jumpers stand for." The twins looked down at their sweaters, one with a large "F" knitted into it, and the other with a "G."_

_"Good guess." George said. "Are you a first year?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Us, too. What house you reckon you'll be in?" Fred asked._

_"My mum was a Ravenclaw, so I know she's hoping for that. Hufflepuff sounds sort of cool." Ivy said._

_"With that stunt you pulled, you'll probably be a Gryffindor. Like us."_

"You'll be all right by yourself for the rest of the night?"

"Rosie, I've been here for a few years now." Ivy said to the older woman.

"But it's Saturday, and that's our busiest night of the week. I don't want you to be overwhelmed." Madame Rosmerta said.

"It's a blizzard out there, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Well, if you're—"

"Fuck!" Ivy shouted. She ducked behind the bar.

Madame Rosmerta looked at the customers who had just Apparated in and instantly recognized the identical redheads.

"Hello, Fred, George. What brings you two here in the middle of a storm?" Rosmerta asked.

"We're looking for Ivy, actually." One of them explained, but Rosmerta was unsure which twin said it.

"Oh, Ivy?" Rosmerta said through gritted teeth. "She around here somewhere." Rosmerta kicked Ivy. It wasn't too hard that Ivy was injured, but hard enough that she made a sound.

"Ow, fuck!" Ivy exclaimed.

"There she is! Ivy, these two gentlemen are looking for you."

Ivy stood up. "Er, yes. Hello, boys." She greeted as she fixed her hair and shirt.

"You shouldn't hide behind bars, Ivy. A customer would think you're avoiding them." George said.

"Well, then," Rosmerta said. She looked around the empty bar. "Feel free to overcharge, Ivy. I'm leaving. Good night, boys." Rosmerta said with a wink before she Disapparated.

As soon as Madame Rosmerta was gone, Ivy grabbed three shot glasses, laid them on the bar, filled them with firewhisky, and took all three in one fluid movement.

"Was that all that necessary?" George asked.

"You two look like you want to talk business, so I need to get in a business state of mind." Ivy said. Her throat burned, but she felt less anxious to see her old friends.

"We wanted to talk about the other day." Fred said. He and George sat at the bar. Ivy poured three butterbeers.

"What about it?" Ivy said.

"We felt that we haven't been very fair to you." George admitted.

"Oh, really? What gave you that impression?" Ivy said bitterly.

"Don't—don't do this to us, all right?" Fred said.

"Do what?"

"What you always do. You get angry and you never say anything about it, so it just simmers inside of you until you do something ridiculous and dangerous. Remember sixth year?" George posited.

"Or fifth year—"

"—and third—"

"—fourth—"

"—second—"

"—even seventh year—"

"All right! I get it. Fine. Talk, or whatever you came here to do."

"Listen, we've been really preoccupied with restoring our shop—"

"—and proposing—" George added.

"Yes, and with Angie and Katie—"

"—You've proposed to Katie?" Ivy interjected.

"What? No! Why?"

"You just made it sound like it, is all. So much has happened over the last few years, there's bound to be a few things that I'm not privy to."

"What I've been trying to say is that it's unfair that we haven't been paying attention to you and we want you to just unload it all on us." Fred finished.

"All of it?"

"Everything." George said.

"Right here?"

The twins looked around the empty bar. "Yes." They said in unison.

"All right." Ivy said. She had another shot of firewhisky. She felt the burn in her throat feed down to her stomach. She was ready to talk.

_"Katie and I are finally dating!" Fred exclaimed excitedly. He motioned for a round of butterbeers as he joined his friends at the Leaky Cauldron._

_The war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters was over and now the wizarding world was in its tenth day of celebrating._

_Not that no one had lost anything, however. Families and friends were devastated. But overall, everyone had something to celebrate about._

_"You and Katie? I didn't even know you were interested in her." George said._

_"Yeah, I thought you and—" Lee Jordan was cut off by Ivy, who had just sat down with her friends._

_"Ivy, what's wrong?" George asked once he noticed that his friend was crying._

_"My dad—he—" She was uncontrollably weeping. Her loud sobs caused such a ruckus, anyone in the Leaky Cauldron who knew Ivy was surrounding the table._

_Except Fred and George, who were becoming more and more distracted that any available guy was hitting on their girlfriends, who were sitting at the bar._

_Ginny noticed this and angrily dismissed her brothers to go save their girlfriends. _

_So many people surrounded Ivy that she wouldn't notice if Fred and George were there or not._

_But Ivy noticed. She remembered. _

_She'd never forget that, on the day her father died, her best friends weren't there to tell her that everything would be ok. That he's in a better place. She was left to be consoled by strangers._

_She had never felt so empty before. Everything was lost._

"I'm so sorry, Ivy." Fred said, vulnerable and honest.

"It's not just that." She said. "You both ignored me for an entire year. You were either busy rebuilding your shop or with your girlfriends and I was all alone. You didn't even ask me for help when I thought, after we left Hogwarts, we'd be in everything together. I know you guys are closer to each other than anyone could ever be, but I had thought I was at least as close as someone could get with you both. I didn't realize that that's not what you wanted from me." She said.

"I lost my job almost as soon as I got it. Rosmerta was Imperiused right after she hired me. I thought you guys would hire me, but you just went on as if everything was ok. And then the war _really_ started—I had to run. I _had_ to. And you both just let me go. You didn't offer help or to come with. You let me go by myself. And then, when I came back, when it was all over, there was no, 'Thank Merlin you're alive!' or 'I'm sorry your parents are fucking dead.' Everything was, 'I'm getting married!' 'The shops doing great!' 'I promise we'll all go out real soon.' Then you have the _nerve_ to ask how I am, that it must be hard _adjusting_?!"

"And I'm sorry if I'm rambling or ranting or not even making sense, but for four years, it has felt like you two moved on and everything is ok and there's no room for me in your perfect future."

_"You know we don't have to stay for the entire ball, right?" Ivy said, breaking the silence between her and George._

_"I'm having fun, though." George said flatly. _

_"You're not. You've been staring at Angie all night." _

_Ivy and George were seated at a table alongside the dance floor at the Yule Ball._

_George was wearing the most garish dress robes possible. The main color was orange—brighter than his hair—and the robes were lined in magenta. Better was his date, Ivy, and though she looked very pretty, her dress robes were a stylized Gryffindor flag, complete with a lion along her backside._

_"Fred knew I wanted to ask her." George said._

_"Fred said he and I were going, so I know how you feel." Ivy patted his back._

_"Yeah, but you're not madly in love with him."_

_Ivy swallowed hard. She and George watched Angelina Johnson, who was an absolute vision in gold, as she danced with Fred, who wore sensible and plain black dress robes._

_"It's weird, you know. I thought we'd all do everything together. You, me, and Fred—we could take on the world." George said._

_"Georgie, you know I've always got your back. Fred's, too."_

_"You should work at the shop with us. If we ever open it."_

_"You mean _when_ you open it. And no matter what you need, I'm there. Even if you need me scrubbing the washboards. You guys have been my best friends since we were eleven. I'd do anything for you and Fred."_

_"Even go dancing with me when Freddie steals my girl."_

_Ivy smiled._

_"You know, we'd do anything for you, too." George said._

_"You're only saying that because you know that I have firewhisky hidden in my trunk."_

_George flashed her a winning smile and the two friends snuck out of the ball in order to go get blind drunk in the sixth-year boys' dormitory._

"We never wanted you out of our lives." George said quietly. "We wanted to take on the world with you."

"It sure fucking feels like it."

"How can we make up for that? You want to work with us? What do you need?" Fred asked.

"I don't need anything. I just wish we could hang out like we used to." Ivy said.

"Well then, let's do that," George said. He threw a handful of galleons on the bar and grabbed the bottle of firewhisky. "Our place or yours?"

-0-

"What's this?" A drunken Fred asked while rummaging through Ivy's flat. He was holding up a pair or red boxers with Quaffles on them.

"Ivy, is there a man in your life?" George asked. He and Fred examined the boxers.

"Give me those. What do you think, his name's charmed in there?" Ivy snapped.

"You're bright red." Fred grinned.

"So who is he?"

_"I have something important to tell you." Ivy whispered to the twins over dinner in the Great Hall._

_It was in the beginning of their fifth year at Hogwarts. Fred and George were beginning to notice what other boys have been saying about the girls at Hogwarts—especially their friend. They felt a strong urge to protect her from their friends' fantasies about her._

_"What?" George asked just as quietly._

_"Not here. Later." She said. The twins squirmed in their seat. They couldn't keep from knowing a secret._

_"Ok, ok, ok. Calm down. Let's go." Ivy said. The three headed out of the Great Hall and to a quiet, empty corridor._

_"What important thing do you have to tell us?" Fred asked. The twins looked at Ivy greedily, dying to know her secret._

_"I—" she paused, uncertain of what to say, "I had sex." She said bluntly._

_"What? With who?" Exclaimed the twins in unison._

_"I can't tell you."_

_"Then we don't believe you."_

_"Fine. But you can't tell ANYONE. Not a soul. Promise."_

_"We promise."_

_"Oliver."_

_"Oliver Wood?" Fred was dumbfounded._

_"Yes, Fred, Oliver Wood."_

_"How?"_

_"Are you asking me how sex works?"_

_"No. I think we're both wondering how this happened."_

_"I don't know. It was after that Quidditch game—where you two threw a party in hopes everyone would forget we lost—and he and I were talking. He told me he thought I was beautiful and we went to his room, and… well, then we had sex." Her voice tapered off at the end._

_"I can't believe it." Fred said._

_"Was it good?" George asked._

_"It was… It was something else." _

_"That means it was bad." George said to Fred._

_"No. It wasn't _bad_. It was my first time, you know. I don't know how to describe it yet."_

_"Will you teach us?" Fred grinned._

_"You're revolting." Ivy said, but she smiled back. _

"So? Who is it?" Fred repeated George's question.

"I can't tell you!" Ivy exclaimed quickly. She vanished the shorts with her wand.

"Is it Malfoy?" George joked.

"No, it isn't—I just can't tell you. It's a private thing."

"Do you like him at all?" Fred asked.

"No—I mean, he's a great guy. He really is. It's just not a romantic thing."

"How long have you been… you know?" asked George.

"Er, about four years."

"All right, George, it's clear. We have not been giving Ivy our full attention for a very long time. She's been sleeping with someone for _four years_ and we've had no idea."


	4. Out of My Head

**I'm aware that Katie Bell is actually a year younger than the twins and would not have been attending Hogwarts in their first year. But, considering I've changed what I have to tell this story, I think we can all accept this.**

_Staying the same just makes everything change_

"All right, hold on." Charlie said huskily.

"Hold on to what, exactly?" Ivy smirked at him. She was blind drunk and had Flooed Charlie over for a quickie.

Ivy's legs were over Charlie's bare shoulders. Her back laid flat on the edge of her bed and Charlie was trying to find the most comfortable way to stand before he entered her

She took this pause to look the Weasley over. Charlie had a tanned, broad chest that just look perfectly rock hard as they shone with sweat.

Fred's got some pretty board shoulders; I bet he looks a lot like Charlie naked, Ivy thought to herself.

She looked at his hard, thick cock and felt herself get wetter at the thought of it inside her, but couldn't help but think about what it would be like to have sex with Fred.

They looked a lot alike. They were a lot alike, really. Charlie was always at ease and able to joke around, much like the twins were. But Charlie didn't have the callousness that Fred did. Charlie was much more gentle and relaxed. Everything was casual with him. Fred liked things best when they were a spectacle. Every relationship of his were drama-filled and always ended with a bang.

In this moment, Charlie was fiddling with their position.

"I think you need to be on a higher surface." He said.

"I think you need to just stop and fuck me already." Ivy was getting impatient.

"Whatever the lady says." And with that, Charlie entered her, ramming her into the mattress.

Ivy moaned in pleasure. Charlie was going so hard that it almost hurt, but she didn't mind.

"Faster?" He asked.

"Go as fast as you want, this is amazing."

Charlie pulsed into her, this time faster, and then faster, until she came, and he right after.

"Oh, Fred." She moaned quietly.

It was at the mention of his brother's name that Charlie began to feel horrible.

He and Ivy always had a casual, no romantic feelings involved, sort of relationship. When he was in town, they'd hook up. It was as simple as that. Every once in a while, they had to be friends to one another, but aside from that, they weren't completely invested in each other.

They liked it like that. Charlie was never looking for more than to get off, and who better than with a pretty girl he knows pretty well?

Ivy was a bit more complicated than that. Ivy, in some deep part of her, was looking for comfort. She was looking for some other feeling than loss, and Charlie was able to give her that. He was also able to give her a sense of accomplishment and confidence. If she couldn't have the Weasley she wanted, she was at least fucking one of them.

"I knew this would happen." Charlie said, cleaning himself up.

"What d'ya mean?" Ivy slurred.

"I'm just a surrogate for my brother."

Ivy stared at him.

"I knew this. I knew this four years ago," He started, "I knew you were in love with him. I just never thought that I'd be some sort of placeholder."

"You're not a placeholder."

"It's ok, Ivy. I don't really…mind at all. This has been fun. But all this is doing is hurting you. I think you think this is as close as you'll get to being with Fred."

"Charlie," Ivy said with inflection on the end of his name, "I never thought that. I just thought we were having fun."

"And we were. But I don't think this is helpful to either of us."

"What, then?"

"I think you should go to bed, sober up, and think about things for a while. Just call me when you want to talk about it."

"But—"

"Trust me. This is for our benefit." Charlie got up and went into Ivy's fireplace, and like that, he was gone.

Ivy was bummed.

She wasn't anything else. She wouldn't let herself be anything else.

So she did what she always did when she had to pass a night by herself.

Charlie might have just ended whatever they were doing.

She took a shot.

She was in love with Fred.

Another shot.

But both Fred and George, as much as they wanted to reconcile, have moved on.

And another.

Before Ivy knew it, she had Apparated outside the flat of her favorite set of twins.

She knocked loudly.

"Geeeeeeoooooorgggiiiiieee." She called. "Georgie, open up!"

A minute later, the door opened, revealed a disgruntled, pyjama-clad George.

"Ivy, what are you doing her? It's two in the bloody morning." He moaned, his voice laden with sleep.

"I have things I need to tell you." Ivy slurred out.

"Are you drunk?"

"Barely. Is Fred around?"

"He's at Katie's."

This stung Ivy.

"Good. I have secrets."

George fixed Ivy and himself up with a cup of tea and a plate of Christmas cookies his mum had sent over. They sat in the kitchen.

"All right, Ivy, what are these secrets?" He asked, slipping a Pepper-Up Potion in her teacup.

"I've got a couple."

"Well then, start with the first one."

She took a sip of tea. "I'm not sure if I should—"  
"—Just. Tell me."

"I'm in love with Fred and I've been fucking your brother." She spat out as quickly as she could.

"What. You've been sleeping with _Fred_?"

"No, I'm in love with Fred, I've been sleeping with Charlie."

"So Charlie's the mystery man? For how long?"

"You know how you found that underwear at mine?"

"Ugh, no! I touched those and now you tell me they're my brothers?!"

"Would it have been better if they were someone else's?"

"I supposed not."

Ivy was sobering up with every sip, and with every bit more sober she became, the more and more she regretted telling George anything.

"So if you're in love with Fred, why have you been sleeping with Charlie for so long?"

"Lots of reasons, I suppose. To stop loving Fred. To feel better about other things. To prove someone wanted to shag me. I think I've just been using sex as a placeholder for love, though." She said, using Charlie's words.

"How long have you been in love with Fred?"

"How long have we been friends?"

"No. That long? Why didn't you ever do anything?"

"Because I knew he'd never feel anything back. He always seemed much more interested in other girls. Remember how surprised you were when he and Katie started dating? He's been eying her since first year."

_"So, what do you like to do?" An eleven year old George Weasley asked his fellow Gryffindor first years at breakfast._

_"I like Quidditch." Angelina Johnson said. "My family and I play all the time. I'm a good flier. You'll see when we all take flying lessons."_

_George grinned. An outsider would be able to pin this down as the moment George fell in love with Angelina._

_"I like Quidditch, too! I always play Chaser with my brothers!" Katie Bell exclaimed excitedly._

_Fred likes to think of this as when he fell in love with Katie._

_"Do you like Quidditch?" One of the twins asked Ivy._

_"I—I don't know. My mum's a witch but she and Dad raised me as a Muggle. I'm not really sure what it is."_

_"It's the best thing in the world!" Fred said._

_"Nothing feels better than flying around, hitting things about." George said._

_"I dunno, I'm not all that comfortable with heights."_

_"I'm never scared." Katie Bell said._

_"Me, neither. I just get uncomfortable." Ivy spat._

_The twins talked to Angelina and Katie for the rest of breakfast about their favorite Quidditch teams. Ivy sat in silence, wishing she knew more about the sport._

"Oh, Merlin. Things make so much more sense." George said. "The Yule Ball, us leaving Hogwarts, the war… Ivy, I'm so sorry. I never realized."

"I've been trying not to be obvious about it."

"Am I the only one who knows?"

"Charlie knows. And no one else ever will." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"George, I'm not going to get over it. I'm not going to forget when Fred tried to teach me how to fly before flying lessons. I'm not going to forget when he punched Cedric Diggory when he broke up with me. I'm not going to forget that he was my first kiss, or how much it sucked when he and Angie went to the ball when he promised me, or how much it hurt when he left Hogwarts."

"I left, too."

"I know, but I don't love you like I do Fred. I just don't want him to go live this happy life with someone else, while everyone looks on and wonders how jealous I am."

"Then tell Fred."

"Yeah, 'cos that's not stupid."

"It's not. Listen, Fred says he's in love with Katie, but he's not. There's no way my brother would fall in love with that girl. She's lovely, yes, but dumb a Death Eater, and boring to boot."

"Fred's happy, George. I'm not going to be the one who ruins that."

George smiled at Ivy, and although it was a sad smile, it was something.

"Oh, bloody hell." He cursed moments later.

"Hmm?" Ivy asked, gulping down her tea.

"Last year, Charlie was telling us about some bird he'd been shagging. It was you, wasn't it? Shit. He gave us a lot of details on that!"

Ivy grinned. "Don't worry. I've given Angie tips."

George looked at his friend, his mouth agape.

"Charlie wants to stop, anyway. He thinks I'm just using him as a surrogate for Fred."

"Are you?"

"No. Charlie's really good, and really hot."

"Merlin!" George did not want to hear about his brother's performance with Ivy.

The two talked into the morning and fell asleep in the twins' living room.

Until they were awakened by deafening crack.

"George? Ivy?" Fred's voice forced the two to open their eyes.

"Fuck, I meant to leave at some point." Ivy muttered groggily.

"That was probably," George scratched his head, "four hours ago. Probably in between pumpkin juice with mead and spare ribs." He said once he looked at the coffee table in front of them.

"Where did that even come from?" Ivy laughed.

"I think when you were telling me how perfect Angelina is for me, I suddenly wanted something to eat."

"Was I crying then?"

"Yes, you were."

"Brilliant."

"What is going on here?" Fred finally spoke.

"We're just hanging out." Ivy said.

"Like we used to." George added. "How was Katie's?" He asked.

"Fine. We had dinner and then headed to bed. Nothing much happened."

"Oh, gross, Fred." Ivy said. She didn't mean it as jokingly as the twins thought she did.

"No, we didn't do that. Katie is the kind of girl—"

"—that wants to wait?"

"—that wants to be romanced?" Ivy and George's responses overlapped each other.

"Well, yeah. Probably to both."

"Aww, is Katie immune to the Fred Weasley charm?" Ivy cooed.

"She must be. We hardly even kiss."

"But you sleep in the same bed?"

"No, I slept on the couch."

"Oh." Ivy said. Her insides were doing somersaults. Maybe Fred and Katie wouldn't be together for much longer.

"It doesn't matter, though. It won't be long until," Fred fidgeted around in his pocket, "this." He produced a small white box. It shimmered in the sunlight.

"You picked one out?" George asked.

He cursed himself that he didn't tell Ivy in their conversation that Fred was planning on proposing to Katie. Ivy looked crestfallen.

"Wow, Fred. That's beautiful." Ivy muttered as she looked at the ring he had chosen.

"Isn't it? I think she'll like it." He said, grinning.

"Yeah. I've got to go." Ivy got up from the couch.

"But I only just got here!" Fred said.

"Ivy's got work, right?" George said, knowing that she didn't want to hear about how Fred was going to propose to Katie.

"Work. Yes. I've got to go to work."

Ivy Disapparated without saying goodbye.

"What's wrong with her?" Fred asked.

"Man stuff." George mumbled.

"Man stuff? Is she seeing anyone?"

"Sort of. Not really. It's just how Ivy deals with things."

"Does it have to do with those boxers?"

"A little bit."

"She tell you whose they were?"

"No," George lied, "but I think she's in love."


	5. Winter Won't Kill Me

**I think this will shape up to be between ten and fifteen chapters. I think I'm moving it way too slowly, anyway. I promise to pick up the pace. Thanks for reading! -alienoctopus**

_In truth, December destroyed me_

"I want to set Ivy up with someone." George said to his wife-to-be.

"Ivy? I don't see her as the dating type." Angelina said as she sat down next to George with two glasses of elfish wine.

"I think she might need a push in that direction. You know, see that maybe she needs to settle down." He said, grabbing one of the glasses.

"Maybe you're right," Angelina mulled, "Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Actually, I do. One of my brothers." He said. As soon as he said it, George knew his plan was in motion.

"George, Fred's seeing Katie. As much as I'd love to see him and Ivy get together, it's not going to happen."

"Fred—what? Do you know something I don't?"

"You don't know that they've been in love with each other for a decade?"

"Ivy told me she's in love with Fred last night. When did she tell you? Better yet, when did Fred tell you that he's in love with Ivy?"

"Remember when he asked me to the Yule Ball?" Angelina said simply.

_"They look good together." Fred said as he eyed George and Ivy at the Yule Ball._

_"They look ridiculous." Angelina laughed. "But, I will say, they pull off 'ridiculous' rather well."_

_"You want to sit for a while?" Fred asked. His eyes were still fixed on his twin and his friend._

_"Sure, if you want."_

_The two sat down and partook in a butterbeer. "Oh, doesn't Katie look great?" Angie said when she saw her friend dancing with her date._

_"Yeah." Fred said, still watching Ivy and George._

_Silence befell the couple for too long._

_"Do you think George is interested in Ivy?" Fred asked._

_"Do you think _Fred_ is interested in Ivy? You've been watching them the entire night."_

_"Merlin, I'm sorry, Angie. I was just… This is going to sound mean, but—"_

_"—You wanted to ask Ivy here."_

_"Yeah." Fred admitted._

_"Why didn't you?"_

_"I dunno. I wanted to prove a point to Ron, and—and you were right there. To be honest, George had been planning to ask you. I guess I just beat him to it."_

_"You should do something about her, Fred." Angelina said. "I know Ivy. She's going to be oblivious to every look you give her. Every time you do something nice, she's just going to think you're really good friends."_

_"And that's all we're ever going to be. Really good friends."_

_"If that's really what you want."_

_"I'm not sure if it is. Where do you think they're heading off to?" Fred asked as he watching Ivy pull his brother out of the Great Hall._

_"Ivy's got a stock of firewhisky in her trunk. I'm sure they're going to indulge in that. Now, even though you didn't mean to ask, I'm your date tonight. And I think we should make the most of this. Let's dance."_

"So, if Ivy loves Fred, and Fred loves Ivy, then we should still set Ivy up with one of my brothers."

"I don't understand."

"Listen, Ivy has been shagging Charlie since the end of the war."

"WHAT?!" Angelina exclaimed.

George paused for a moment. At this time, four years ago, he would have never told Angelina any of this. He knew ivy had told him all she had the night before in confidence.

But Angie was a part of him. He wanted her to know. He trusted her to know. He smiled inwardly at this thought.

"I can't believe we never knew." Angelina said, in shock.

"I know. So, I want to set her and Charlie up. If Fred is still in love with Ivy, then we should be able to see that he's jealous. He'll keep postponing proposing to Katie. Charlie and Ivy won't last. If they've been shagging for four years and never tried to further that, they already know that a relationship can't exist. They'll break up. Fred and Katie will break up. Then it's happily ever after. We could have a double wedding!"

"I wouldn't get too excited. I don't think it'll happen quite like that."

"Then what do you think?"

"I do think setting up Charlie and Ivy is a great way to see if Fred is still interested. What needs to happen, though, is as soon as Charlie and Ivy call it quits—we'll have to make sure it's Charlie who does it—we need to get Ivy and Fred alone together. I know for a fact that, no matter what the relationship meant to Ivy, she'll still be hurt when it's over. And I know that she'll talk about it with a couple of drinks in her. Which—"  
"—will open Fred up. He'll admit if there's anything wrong with him and Katie—"

"—and instill some hope in Ivy. Then, all we have to do is keep reminding Fred how great Ivy is."

"He'll eventually have a serious conversation with me about him and Katie, and ask if he should break it off."

"And you'll tell him, 'Fred, be with the girl you love. It's the best way to be happy.'"

"He'll go to Ivy, kiss her deep, and they'll be happily ever after."

"And that will work."

"If my brother's in love with her."

"If not, then maybe her and Charlie will actually hit it off. Maybe she'll meet someone else. I don't know. I just—I don't see it."

"Fred with Katie? Me neither."

"She's a real sweet girl. A good friend, too. But I don't know what they see in each other."

"All right, so we're in agreement. We need to convince Ivy that trying to date Charlie is a good idea, though."

"Leave that to me." Angelina said, finishing her wine.

"I can't believe I've found a woman who will plot with me." George smiled, pulling Angelina on top of him.

"And I'll be your wife soon enough." Angie kissed George deeply.

-0-

"You want to set me up with Charlie?" Ivy asked incredulously.

"I think you'd be a good match." George said before he took a bite out of his lunch.

"I think we would have realized that at some point, considering what we've been doing over the last four years."

"Ivy, hear me out. You guys have never tried to go further that you have—"

"—I feel like we've gone as far as possible—"

"In all seriousness. I think you should consider dating him."

"Dating who?" Fred asked as he walked into the room.

"George thinks I should go on a date with Charlie." Ivy said.

Fred was in shock. There was something about Ivy dating someone that…unsettled him. "Charlie? I don't see it."

"See? Fred agrees."

"I'm only asking you to consider it."

"I'm not going to." Ivy said in a sing-song voice.

"Please, Ivy? As a friend?"

"I'll think about it." Ivy said. "I've got to go. Someone's got to tap the butterbeer today. See you, George."

"Bye, Ives."

"Yeah, bye Fred."

As soon as Ivy was gone, Fred hounded his brother.

"Is Ivy in love with Charlie? Does Charlie know?" Fred asked questions in rapid-fire, not even giving his brother a chance to consider them.

"Slow down, brother mine. I don't know who Ivy is in love with. I do know, however, that it's rather unrequited. So I figured maybe she and Charlie should go out and see what happens."

"Wait, so Ivy is in love with someone who doesn't love her back?"

"She thinks so. From what I've heard, he does, but he'll never do anything about it. Isn't that pathetic?" George asked. He reveled in this moment that this plan allowed him to talk to Fred like this.

"Yeah." Fred got real quiet.

"I mean, Ivy's so great, and for this guy to just ignore that? What's not to love, you know?"

"Love who? Fred loves me?" Katie Bell's voice rung in the twins' flat.

"Of course." Fred gave Katie a quick peck on the cheek.

"Really, what are you talking about?" She asked.

"Ivy's in love with some bloke who may or may not feel the same and we're discussing that it's—"

"—Just such a pity." George cut him off. "Ivy's such a lovely girl, don't you think?"

"I suppose she's very pretty. But she's a self-serving drunk, with little to no direction in life. Heart of a lion, yes, but no substance beyond that." Katie said. "What do you think, Fred?"

Fred looked at his girlfriend. She fluttered her eyelashes as if to say 'Agree with me.' But Fred didn't want to agree with her, even if there was a small part of him that agreed with some of her accusation.

"I agree with you, of course, Katie." He said.

George furrowed his brow. Whether or not Fred was in love with Ivy or not, he was still her friend. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You don't mean that, Freddie." He said.

"It's not exactly a lie, though, is it George? Every time I've seen her in the last year—maybe even longer—she's either been blind drunk, or runs off to 'work,' but it seems she runs off to shag some guy."

"Maybe if you ever actually talked to her. You realize we haven't been rather fair to her for a very long time, right? She's sort of been floating around while we got our lives together. We haven't been there for her."

"It seems like this other guy's been there for her. Or who even knows? It's not like she tells us anything." Fred snarled.

"Merlin, Fred. I think you need to do some thinking." George said. He stormed off to his own bedroom.

-0-

"I need to talk to you, Ivy." Madame Rosmerta said to her employee.

"What d'ya need, Rosie?" Ivy asked as she wiped down the bar.

"I want to make you an offer." She said.

Ivy sat down in front of the bar. "Make me an offer? For what? A raise?"

"I want to sell the Three Broomsticks."

"What? Rosie, no! You're great here."

"I love this place, but I want to retire. I've noticed that you're good with the patrons, and you've brought some great things to the brewery. I was hoping you'd be willing to buy me out."

"Merlin, I don't even know what to say."

"I want to sell for half a million galleons." She said.

Ivy's heart dropped. "Half a million? That's… that's quite the sum."

"I know it sounds like a lot, but you get the inn, the brewery, the bar, and all of the patrons that come with it. You'd make the money back within the year."

"I have to think about it. I might be able to move some things around and find some money."

"Just think about it, please. But let me know in a month? So I can open up to other buyers at some point."

"Yeah. A month. I'll let you know."

-0-

"Where are you going to get that kind of money?" Charlie asked. He was seated in the loveseat Ivy was able to cram into her apartment.

"I don't even know if I want to do it."

"Oh, stop. Ivy, you've been part of the brewing process there. All the regulars love you. Even if you don't know it, you love it there."

"I dunno. I mean, I do. I just don't know if I want to be a barmaid the rest of my life."

"They way I see it, you have a month to get the money. You have a month to think about it. If you decide against it, well, then you have five hundred thousand galleons."

"I suppose so."

"How far do you have to go for it?"

"Well, I have 250,000 left from my Order of Merlin, so I'm halfway there. I have about 30,000 in savings. Probably another 20,000 if I sell everything I have."

"How will you get the 200,000 left, then?"

"There's always my parents' house."

"What do you mean?" Charlie poured himself a cup of tea.

"My parents' house. It's still there. I could sell it."

"Would you want to?"

"I haven't stepped foot in it since…"

"That long?"

"I haven't had any use for it."

"Ivy. I think you should go for it."

"Yeah?"

"I do. And in that spirit, I have to ask you something." Charlie shuffled his hands around nervously.

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to go out with me? On a real date, I mean."


	6. A Valentine's Moment

**Hey, readers! I thought it would be nice to whip up a "cute" Valentine's Day chapter. Unfortunately, I didn't do it in time for Valentine's Day. However, I still wrote it. **

**Thanks for reading! –alienoctopus**

**ALSO—Usually, I write flashbacks in italics throughout the chapters. Considering this chapter is entirely a flashback, I'm not using italics.**

_So I'll write postcards, and I'll forget to send them_

It was seven in the morning on a Hogsmeade Saturday.

Many of the girls in Hogwarts were already awake, taking showers and applying makeup as it was the day after Valentine's Day—which meant many girls were going on a date whether it was with their boyfriends or a new beau.

But what was strange was that fourteen year old Fred Weasley was awake.

He sat up in his four-poster bed, curtains closed, fiddling with a handwritten note he meant to give to someone days before.

He was trying to draw up the courage to give it to its intended recipient.

"Fred, what are you doing up?" George opened the curtain. George wiped sleep from his eyes, which gave Fred a moment to hide this note under his pillow without his brother noticing.

"I dunno. I think I heard something and couldn't get back to sleep." Fred answered quickly.

George scanned his brother's face. "Is something wrong?" He asked tentatively.

"No."

"Are you sure? You've been muttering to yourself. Almost woke up the entire floor."

"You'd know if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"I guess," George admitted, "Well, Lee's not going to be up until breakfast, and Ivy probably won't be awake until noon, so don't get too excited over our Hogsmeade trip."

"Why would I be excited about going to Hogsmeade?" Fred asked defensively.

"Don't tell me that you forgot Zonko's is releasing a new product today!"

"Of course I didn't forget. I just can't get back to sleep is all."

"Well, I can. See you in a couple hours, brother."

Fred nodded at his twin.

Fred waited until George's curtains were closed and closed his own.

He took out his note and read it.

Maybe I should just toss it, he thought.

Maybe I shouldn't.

No, this is a bad idea.

Fred began to feel angry with himself. He was a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! He should be brave, not anxious.

He took out the Marauders' Map and examined it, looking for a particular name.

His eyes scanned the girls' dormitory, but the name wasn't there.

He looked in the Great Hall, not there either.

Fred was about to give up. This was a sign from Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. This was a bad idea.

But then he saw it.

The name and the footprints were almost motionless outside the Quidditch pitch.

Fred swallowed hard.

He grabbed his cloak and ran out of Gryffindor Tower.

He slid down banisters, took a secret passage, and raced out of the Great Hall.

The cold wind hit his face like a ton of bricks. He thanked Merlin that he took his warmest cloak with him, but cursed himself for not having the sense to also grab a scarf.

He walked slowly to the Quidditch pitch, trying to catch his breath.

Then trying to steady his breath. It was shallow and quick, like his racing blood.

He saw the body that the name and footprints from the map belong to.

He had to catch his breath again.

"Ivy!" He yelled to the body.

It turned around. Ivy's fresh face was wonderful to see amongst the snow, made brighter by the morning.

"Fred? What are you doing out here?" She asked.

"I was looking for you. What are you doing out here?"

Ivy blushed. Her eyes glanced quickly at the Quidditch pitch. "Nothing." She said sheepishly.

Fred looked at the pitch. Oliver Wood dove his broomstick as close to the ground as he could get, and pulled back up.

"Oh." Fred said, realizing why Ivy was awake and outside. The courage that had swelled in his chest on the way out had shrunk back down immediately.

"What?" Ivy asked defensively.

"He's been eying you, too, you know." Fred said.

"Who? I don't know what you're talking about." Ivy didn't take her eyes off her feet.

She felt embarrassed. She didn't want Fred to know she fancied Oliver.

She was confused about fancying Oliver. Such a large part of her felt even stronger about Fred. But lately, Oliver had been taking notice of the young Gryffindor. He offered to accompany her on her walks around the castle. He played a few games of Exploding Snap with her, as well as saved her a seat at dinner. Ivy couldn't help but feel attraction towards him.

Ivy didn't want Fred to know any of this.

"Wood. I think he fancies you, too."

Ivy's blush deepened.

"He does," Fred said. "If he's not talking about Quidditch, he's asking about you."

"Oh." She breathed. "Do you think he'll ask me to Hogsmeade?"

Fred's heart dropped into his stomach. "It's kind of late for that, isn't it?"

"I suppose." Ivy said, watching Oliver fly.

Fred felt bad. He felt like with those words, he had hurt Ivy. "But you never know. He probably will."

Ivy didn't notice the monotone of Fred's answers. "Oh, I hope he does." She gave Fred a small smile.

"If he's smart, he will."

The two stood in silence, not knowing the other's thought. If they did, things would be much different.

If Ivy knew what Fred was thinking, she would know that Fred was holding a small piece of parchment with the words, "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me, but not as friends, you know?" scrawled across it.

Ivy would embrace Fred and they would go inside and get properly dressed, and go on a date, and be together.

But she couldn't read his thoughts.

If Fred knew what Ivy was thinking, he would know that Ivy preferred him over Oliver and that she really only was attracted to Oliver as a distraction from himself.

Fred would toss the note aside and ask Ivy in person.

But as Ivy couldn't read Fred's mind, he couldn't read hers.

Fred had to do something. He had to make some sort of move.

So he kissed her.

They stood there, frozen in strange adolescence, until Fred pulled away.

"What was that for?" Ivy asked. She didn't sound angry to Fred. He couldn't tell if she was happy about what he had just did, however, and chalked it up to absolute surprise.

"Listen, Ivy. I care about you." Fred said plainly. Ivy's heart swelled at the words. "So I don't want you to go wasting your first kiss on something no one knows about. We're _always_ going to be friends. Having our first kiss in between us is something neither of us will regret."

Ivy was flabbergasted. She had no idea what to say. She had no idea what to even think. Before she could even get out a word, Fred spoke.

"I'm going to go back in, then." Fred said.

"I'll see you at breakfast soon." Ivy said, trying to get her attention back on Oliver.

Fred nodded and walked back into the castle, discarding his note in the snow.

The snow bled into the ink until the words were indiscernible.

Neither knew that the other felt just as heartbroken.

Fred handled his heartbreak better than Ivy did, though Ivy dated more than he did.

Fred was able to throw himself into something he loved. He was able to be constantly distracted with his brother and their inventions.

Ivy didn't have that. She knew she didn't have anything. She immersed herself in finding someone to stand in for Fred.

Maybe she could learn to care about something else.

Their interaction that morning was forgotten by nightfall, as Fred and George were far too invested in trying out their Zonko's purchases, and Ivy was deep in conversation with Oliver Wood.

But when they both lay to go to sleep, their thoughts were of each other.


	7. It Might Be 'Cause I'm Not Alone

_January crushed me_

"How's it going with Ivy?" George asked Charlie.

The two brothers were seated in the family room of the Burrow. Fred was tending to the fireplace.

Katie and Angelina were in the kitchen, attempting to help Mrs. Weasley in making dinner. Every once in a while, one could hear, "Molly, please, let me help with this," and "Oh, no, I've got it, dear!"

"I'm not sure," Charlie said, "On one hand, we've got great chemistry. It's honestly pretty amazing."

"Ivy's like that." Fred said darkly. "She gets on with everybody really well."

"Doesn't matter, what's in the other hand?" George asked.

"She's a handful, emotionally. She's definitely still interested in that other guy," Charlie nodded at his brother, "And I'm not sure if she'll get over that. But we're trying."

"_I need your help." George said immediately as he emerged from Charlie's fireplace._

"_Little brother, you should send notice before a visit, you know." Charlie yelled from his kitchen. George followed the voice._

"_What do you need my help with?" Charlie asked._

"_Ivy. I need you to ask her on a date."_

"_I dunno if that's a great idea. She and I don't get on—"_

"—_Don't even bother. I know you've been shagging."_

"_How?!"_

"_She told me a few nights ago. I also know she's in love with Fred."_

"_So she finally told someone?"_

"_And I think Fred's in love with her. I need you to ask her out so we can get them together."_

"_Exactly how would my dating Ivy get her and Fred together?"_

"_I've thought about this. I've asked Angelina. We figure you and Ivy could try dating. Either it'll work out great and she'll get over Fred and you guys will find happiness. Or something. _Or_ Fred will get jealous and eventually break it off with Katie. You and Ivy are both capable of ending a relationship on good terms. This will work out." George emphasized the last four words._

"_You think this will work?"_

"_I know it will."_

"_I'll give it a shot."_

"I can't imagine anyone dating Ivy." Fred said, finally sitting amongst his brothers.

"Why not? She's great." Charlie shot a smile at George.

"I dunno. I just don't see her settling with anyone. No one'll be good enough, I guess. I mean, sure, I think you're good enough, Charlie, but what happens a year from now when she figures out what she wants in her life and you're in Romania?"

"No offense, Fred, but I don't think you can speak for Ivy. Perhaps you can ask her when she gets here?"

As if on cue, Ivy Apparated right in from of them.

"Hello, boys. Hi, Charlie." Ivy gave Charlie a quick kiss on the cheek. "Where's your mum?"

"Fighting off the help of both Angie and Katie."

"I'm going to go join the forces." Ivy disappeared into the kitchen.

"How long have you two been going out?" Fred asked.

"About a month." Charlie said.

"Katie and I have been going out for four years." Fred said.

He didn't know why he said it. He just felt the need to.

Mrs. Weasley called everyone in for dinner.

"Yeah. Well, maybe in four years, I'll walk around with a ring box in my pocket, too, little brother." Charlie said. He got up and left for the kitchen. Fred blushed like mad.

-0-

"I have a favor to ask of all of you." Ivy announced to the room after dinner. "Madame Rosmerta is retiring, and she wants me to buy the Three Broomsticks from her. But I don't have the money—"

"You're not getting any from us!" George joked loudly.

"Thanks, Georgie, you're a great friend!" Ivy retorted with the same humor. "But it's not that I need anyone's money. I need to go to my parents' house and clean it up to be sold. Considering the idea that this might be emotional for me, I think I'm going to need some help clearing it out." Charlie squeezed Ivy's hand.

"Sure, Ives. Anything to help." Fred said. George, Angelina, Charlie, and Ginny all nodded in agreement.

"Wonderful. I'm thinking of going this weekend."

"We'll meet you here!" Ginny said.

"Thanks." Ivy said sheepishly. She was overwhelmed at the support she felt.

"Why is Rosmerta selling her bar to you?" Katie asked.

"Because I can brew butterbeer like no other." Ivy said smugly.

"Oh. I didn't even realize that brewers were still around. The Leaky Cauldron does it all through magic, you know." Katie said matter of factly.

"I know what the Leaky Cauldron does, and I know I do it better."

"I don't mean to talk you down, or anything, you know, I just know that it saves a lot of time and money."

Ivy nodded.

"_Hullo, there." Oliver said to an overtired, fifteen-year-old Ivy._

"_Hi, Oliver." Ivy grinned._

_There was a cloud of romantic tension between the two teenagers that made everyone in the Common Room feel uncomfortable, but the only people who can detect why were Oliver and Ivy, and Fred and George. No one else knew that Oliver had taken Ivy's virginity the night before._

"_I've got to go finish a Charms essay, but can we talk later?" He asked._

_Ivy blushed and nodded._

"_I'll meet you back down here in about two hours."_

"_Sure."_

_Oliver bounded up the stairs, now having given himself a goal for him to finish his essay._

"_Looks like something's going on between you two." Angie noted. Ivy and the twins grinned at each other._

"_You think?" Katie asked innocently._

"_Oh, I'm sure. What happened with you and Wood, Ivy?" Angie asked._

_Ivy bit her lip. "I think he and I are finally going to pick back up where we left off last year."_

"_Really?" Katie asked. "I always thought he'd be more attracted to the athletic-type of girl."_

"_I think Wood thinks Ivy is plenty athletic." George smirked. Ivy smacked him in the back of the head._

"_No offense, Ivy, but Oliver is a 'get up and go' kind of person, and I've seen you sleep for a week straight." Katie said._

_Ivy knew the girl meant no harm, but her words still burned her stomach._

"_That's not Ivy's fault," Fred defended._

"_Yeah, we had brewed a rather strong Sleeping Draught." George finished._

"_I'm surprised she slept for only a week."_

"_Oliver and I have something, I think. It's been there for a while. He's finally acting upon it." Ivy said snidely. _

"_Oh, I'm sure." Katie said, as if it were nothing._

-0-

"I've moved out of my flat." Ivy said to George as he poured her a cup of tea.

"Why?" Fred asked. "You love living in Diagon Alley."

"Well, for one, technically, it was in Knockturn Alley. And I needed the galleons." Ivy said.

"Where are you staying now?" George asked.

"Absolutely nowhere. You think your mum would be ok if I stayed at the Burrow for a couple of days until I get my parents' place cleaned up? I'll be staying there until I sell it."

"I'm sure she'd be fine with it, but why don't you just stay here?" Fred offered.

Ivy was taken aback. She half-expected one of the twins to offer to stay with them, but she expected George to be the one to offer, and that it would be with him and Angie.

"I'm sure you guys don't have room for me here."

"That's ridiculous. George is living with Angie, so he's only here when we're working late into the night, or when I'm not here so someone can look over the shop at night. You can have his room until you move into the Three Broomsticks." Fred said.

"Are you sure? Is that ok with the both of you?"

"Fine with me. George?"

"Sounds perfect." George grinned. Absolutely nothing would be better than for Fred and Ivy to live together, even if only for a little while.

"We've got to go open the shop, why don't you move your things in here?" Fred said.

"It's just this box," Ivy indicated to the box she brought with her, "And I'll be at the house this weekend, anyway."

"Ivy, do you really want to live there?" Fred asked gently. He put his hand on top of hers as if to comfort her. Ivy shivered internally.

"It'll only be until it's sold."

"Even then, you'd rather stay there?" He looked at her, knowingly.

"No." Ivy whispered.

"Then unpack your things in George's room. It's pretty empty save the bed. You can stay here as long as you need."

George was growing anxious. Fred and Ivy sure know when to pick a good time to have a moment, he thought. Soon, he couldn't handle waiting. "Fred, we have to open the shop." He said impatiently.

Fred smiled at Ivy. She felt her heart flutter and her mind sent a flurry of curse words in retaliation.

"I suppose we'll all hang around after we close?" Fred said.

"I can't. I've got to close down the bar." Ivy said.

"We'll stay up for you."

"Don't bother. I'll be back rather late. I'll see you in the morning."

"All right. Bye, Ives."

"Have a good day, boys." Ivy said. "And thanks." She added.


	8. In Truth

**Here's a short chapter. I tend to write characters that have issues with alcohol, probably because I have some of the same issues. So, even though some of it tends to veer on the overdramatic in my stories, note that writing about it is how I try to cope with it. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! -alienoctopus**

_In February, I was not myself_

"_Miss Blythe, might you play a game with me?"_

_Professor Dumbledore was seated in a secluded corner of the Three Broomsticks with a muggle chessboard set in front of him._

"_I think you can call me Ivy now that I'm out of Hogwarts, Albus." Ivy said. She felt as if she had taken a risk by calling Dumbledore by his first name._

"_Fair enough. Care to join me, Ivy?"_

_Ivy looked around the bar. Since Death Eaters began to overrun Hogsmeade over the summer, the bar had been empty every day._

"_Sure." She sat down and looked at the board. All of the pieces were placed as if Dumbledore knew she'd agree to a game._

"_Do you like chess, Ivy?" He asked. Ivy moved her first piece._

"_I'm actually particularly fond of it," Ivy admitted, "and I am particularly good at it."_

_Dumbledore made a quick move and Ivy began to contemplate her options._

_Three turns later, Ivy had Dumbledore in check, and then checkmate._

"_Another round?" She suggested. Dumbledore waved his hand and the pieces reset themselves._

"_You were always attentive in History of Magic, correct?" Dumbledore asked as he took one of Ivy's pawns._

"_I think I was the only student to ever like it."_

"_Why?"_

_Ivy took one of Dumbledore's knights and placed alongside the board._

"_I dunno," she said, "The wars are actually pretty interesting. Especially the Goblin Wars—they're clever little things, aren't they?"_

"_So I am correct in assuming you know what good strategies in a war would be?"_

"_I suppose. Check."_

_Dumbledore moved his king one space. Ivy moved another one of her pieces. "Checkmate." She said smugly._

"_There is a war coming, Ivy."_

"_I think I'm pretty aware of that."_

"_We need to prepare for battle. If not tomorrow, then next week, or even next year. We need a plan."_

"_And here I thought you had it all figured out."_

"_I would like it if you could strategize for the Order. Come up with the best ways to protect the greater good."_

"_What is the greater good here, Albus?"_

_Ivy was getting frustrated. Dumbledore had asked her to stay in Hogsmeade to keep eyes and ears out on Death Eater activity. But it was only her. Order members would sometimes come and patrol the roads, but never enough. At three in the morning last Wednesday, Ivy could have sworn someone broke into the Three Broomsticks. Were any Order members around? Of course not—Dumbledore, for whatever reason, left her alone._

"_You're a lot smarter than you're given credit for."_

"_Thanks for the validation."_

"_I also know that, not only are you fiercely loyal, but you are such to your friends and Hogwarts. They all need protecting."_

"_There are plenty of Aurors in the Order of the Phoenix. Why not ask one of them?"_

"_Because you're smarter than you're given credit for. Voldemort will know to go after the Aurors who are on our side. He won't know to go after a barmaid."_

_Ivy resented being called a barmaid._

"_You've heard the threats sent to the Weasley family."_

_A fire quickly rose inside of Ivy. "I'll bloody do it." She said. "But not for you, or Hogwarts, or the greater good."_

"_I know. I will send you the details for the next Order meeting and you can discuss your plans with everyone."_

"_Sod off, Dumbledore." Ivy growled._

"Ivy. IVY! Are you ok?" Fred's voice penetrated through Ivy's nightmares.

"What's goin' on?" She asked, her voice laden with sleep.

"You were screaming." Fred said.

"Merlin, I'm sorry, Fred. Not even one day and I've been a horrible flatmate already.

Fred studied his friend as if he hadn't seen her in years.

Which, really, he hadn't. Every time he looked at Ivy, he pictured what she was at Hogwarts. He saw a dewy, young creature brimming with nerve. He didn't usually see the sallow creature that sat up in his brother's bed.

Up and down her arms were still-healing scars from knives and curses. Dark circles sat beneath her eyes. One long, thin scar along her throat looked as if it would never fade.

"How come I never notice these?" Fred asked, tracing one of the twisted scars on the outside of her arms. It looked like lightening.

"Glamour charms. No one ever notices them."

"Will they heal?"

"These ones will, I think. They've been looking better over the last year. Or maybe I've just gotten used to them. This one won't, though." She indicated the scar along her throat. "Cursed blade."

Fred nodded.

"This is weird." Ivy said.

"What is?"

"You, seeing me like this. No one has. Not even Charlie." Ivy pulled the bed sheets around her.

"We're all scarred, you know? You've seen Bill. His won't heal, either. George hasn't got an ear."

"It's not that, it's…" Ivy paused. She knew exactly what she was feeling, but didn't feel like letting Fred in on the secret.

"I'm your friend, Ivy. In fact, there was a time in which we were best friends."

Fred grabbed Ivy's hand and forced her to look at him.

"I used to be beautiful, you know. You had to know. I would turn heads every day at Hogwarts—even on days when I didn't put time in my looks. I was even able to make Snape stutter every once in a while. But now I'm all mangled and awful. I'm a walking reminder that something bad happened."

"I—"

"—You don't need to say anything, Fred. Don't bother."

"Just. You still look really good, Ives."

"Shut it, Fred. Just go."

Fred left the room.

Ivy hurried for her wand and cast a few charms on herself. She looked as fresh as morning dew.

She took out a small bottle of liquor from the nightstand and took a long swig.

Ivy went back to sleep.


	9. Cleaning up House

_March rolled in like beatings_

"Katie's been driving me bonkers." Fred said over breakfast with Ivy.

"Has she?" Ivy tried to play off that she was uninterested in this news.

"Yeah, she's blowing her head off at me. She thinks it's wrong that I let you live in the flat, and that you've got a perfectly good home where your parents lived." He bit into a large piece of pancake.

"Oh, yes. I think it's a great idea for me to live in the home where I saw my dad kill himself. Brilliant." Ivy said, trying to hide her anger behind a deadpan voice.

"That's what I told her. But she said it's still not right." He took another bite. "Is this blueberry?"

"It's your favorite, right?" Ivy knew that it was.

"Why didn't you move here earlier? This is amazing!" Fred shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth.

"So how's Charlie?"

"He's all right. I dunno. We don't see much of each other now that we're dating." Ivy admitted.

She hadn't minded dating Charlie in the beginning. It was nice getting to know him on a more personal level, and they were getting to a good, honest point. But his being away was beginning to take a toll on her. It never felt like he as far when it was just sex.

"It's not like you saw that much of each other before, though."

Ivy bit her lip. She had almost forgotten that Fred had no idea that she had been shagging his brother for years before they began dating.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked, noticing her discomfort.

"Nothing. I'm just tired, I think." She lied.

"Hm. Well, I'd suggest that you get some sleep, but we should probably head to the Burrow soon."

"Yeah. Wear comfortable clothes. We're probably going to be moving a lot of things."

"I'll go get cleaned up and be out in a minute."

-0-

Overgrown grass and weeds surrounded the old Blythe home. The bushes that used to frame the front door now covered it completely. Windows were broken, and a side door was clearly jimmied open.

"Well, it appears this place may have been robbed, so our job might be easier today." Ivy said to the group of friends that came to help her.

"It doesn't look that big, either." Katie said optimistically.

"It was big enough for us." Ivy said, her voice laden with ice.

"I think we should start from the outside and work our way in." Charlie suggested.

"We should do the opposite," Angelina said, "It's a Muggle community. We should do our magic inside where no one can see us, and then wait until night to focus on the outside."

"That sounds good to me." Ivy said as she tried to open the door. "Oh, fuck. _Alohamora_!" She unlocked the door.

"We could have just used the side door." Ginny said.

"Don't say that now, Ginny!" Ivy said.

Her voice echoed in the house.

Old furniture was skewed across the living room, the first room in the house. Cobwebs hung from the corners of the room all the way down to the floor. Piles of trash were in every corner.

"We should start upstairs, I think. A couple of people in each room should work."

Charlie and Ivy went on their own into Ivy's parents' old room, while Katie and Angelina took on the upstairs bathroom.

George, Ginny, and Fred stood in front of the door to Ivy's room.

A sign that read "ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK" was still applied to the front of the door.

"It's like we were always destined to be friend, innit?" George asked pointing to the old sign.

Ginny grabbed the handle and turned it. It covered her hand in dark dust and grime. It was very clear that no one had been in the house for a long time.

Wind blew through the window across the room, shaking the curtains. Below the window was intense water damage from rain and snow. Picture frames and trinkets that sat on the ledge lay broken on the floor.

"Ivy said we can toss everything." Ginny said, repairing one of the frames with her wand. She picked it up and took a quick glance before she handed it to George.

"I don't think we should listen to her." George said. He pulled Fred next to him so they could both look at the photo.

Fred, Ivy, and George stood in front of the Hogwarts Express after their fourth year.

The twins both sported black eyes and Ivy's nose was broken.

The three friends were grinning, and then immediately winced in pain from their injuries.

"_You know, Blythe, I was hoping the Heir of Slytherin would get you." Marcus Flint shouted at Ivy as she, Fred, and George were boarding the Hogwarts Express at the end of the school year._

"_Well, he probably got distracted by your overlarge forehead, don't you think?" Ivy spat at him._

"_It's terrible that mudbloods can only get petrified. Otherwise, you would've been the first to be killed."_

_Ivy slammed herself into Flint. "I am not a mudblood." She said through gritted teeth._

"_You're right; you're worse. You're just a stupid cunt who happened upon a wand."_

_Ivy was the first to throw a punch, but the twins were not far behind. _

_Flint, though he was older and bigger, didn't stand a chance against the three of them._

_After a few good punches from everyone, Flint ran off to find his fellow Slytherins._

"_Mum's going to kill us." George said when Fred's eye was beginning to show the bruise._

"_At least we're still identical." Fred said. He and George both took hits to their right eyes. _

"_Thass grea', d'yoo habe anythib to stob bleedin'?" Ivy asked through her broken and bloody nose._

"_We've been working on something, actually," George rummaged through his bag, "Here. It'll stop the bleeding." He handed Ivy a small vial of thick orange potion._

_She swallowed the liquid and her nose quickly stopped bleeding._

"_Mum can fix your nose when we get off the train. She's brilliant with healing spells." Fred said when Ivy caught her reflection. Her nose was twisted and swollen._

"_We all look so wonderful. I can't imagine what Mum'll say," Ivy mused, "'Hi, Mum! I'm back from Hogwarts! There was a giant killer snake and Fred and George's sister was possessed by Voldemort's spirit and I've got a broken nose! All is well!'" _

The twins smiled at the memory.

Things were much easier during their early years at Hogwarts. No one had to worry about dark wizards running around. No one was dead yet.

Ivy wasn't in love with Fred and everything was much nicer.

And here they were, almost ten years later, cleaning the house where Ivy's parents used to live. In the room Ivy used to live.

It was very clear that it was Ivy's room at one point. The walls were poorly painted Gryffindor red and gold. The bookshelves held only history and potions books, with a couple of _Clever Charms for Young Wizards and Witches_ and the like scattered in between.

Everywhere they looked, there was a photograph. Ivy and her mum, Ivy and her dad. But most of all, Ivy with the twins.

On the back of each photograph was Ivy's tiny scrawl.

_Me and Mum, 1989_

_First year at Hogwarts_

Ivy's mum was hugging Ivy tightly, a Ravenclaw scarf tight in her hands.

Fred rummaged through most of the photographs while George and Ginny took care of the closet.

Ivy and Cedric, Ivy and her mum and dad, Ivy and Oliver, even Ivy and Ginny… Fred filtered through the pictures to find any of him and Ivy, always to find that George was in all of the photos with them.

He looked at the back of one: _George, Me, Fred, and Angelina, 1994; The Yule Ball_

There was a small drawn heart around Fred's name.

He turned the photo over before he thought anything of it.

All four friends were laughing wildly, especially George and Ivy, who looked wonderfully out of place compared to how nicely Fred and Angie were dressed.

Between laughs in the photograph, Fred stole a glance at Ivy, and as soon as he looked away, she did the same.

Fred grinned widely. "Look at this!" He said, thrusting the photograph in George's hand.

He and Ginny examined it. George laughed at his dress robes. "Ivy and I had such a good time that night, you know. Shame we didn't all spend it together more." He went back to clearing the closet.

But Ginny was still holding onto the photograph. "Fred?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Fred was still going through the old photographs.

"How long have you been in love with Ivy?"

Fred was floored. Absolutely stunned and shocked. He had no answer.

"It looks like at least since the Yule Ball." Ginny said plainly, waiting on an explanation.

"Gin, my girlfriend's in the other room." Fred whispered, terrified.

"Oh, please. Like that'll last. Fred, you should say something."

"Ginny, what are you talking about?" Fred tried another route: playing innocent.

"So it is true. Way to go, Gin. You got him." George patted his sister on the shoulder. "I've been trying to see if he'd admit it for ages." George couldn't be happier. His and Angie's plan for Fred and Ivy to end up together didn't seem like it was taking. Thank Merlin his little sister was nosy, and smart, too.

Fred's two siblings seemed to surround him. He was at a complete loss for words.

"You should just say it, Fred. You'll feel better." Ginny said.

"Say what?"

"You know." George said.

Fred groaned.

"I care about Ivy, yes, she's my friend."

"Freddie, don't make me hex you." Ginny threatened.

"Fine!" Fred gave in. "I'm bloody in love with Ivy. I have been since…I don't even remember. It's just become a part of me. Everything thing I do, every witch I've dated and ogled, every time I kiss Katie, all I think about is Ivy. Happy?"

"Finally." George let out a long sigh. "You should do something about it, mate."

"I can't." Fred said solemnly. "I'm with Katie, she's with Charlie, it'd mess everything up. I think she finally has a chance at being happy." Fred gathered all of the photos he was going through and Disapperated.

"What was that?" Katie ran into the room after hearing the crack of Apparation.

"I dunno. Fred seems to be moody." George muttered.

"What's going on?" Ivy barged in the room next to Katie.

"Fred left." Ginny said.

"Why?"

No one bothered to bring up Fred's episode for the rest of the day except for Katie, who eventually left to find him.

"Thanks, you guys. I don't think I could have gotten the entire inside cleaned up without you. Tomorrow night, come to the Three Broomsticks, butterbeer is on me for the entire night, all right? Even Harry." Ivy added to Ginny.

"We will definitely be there!" George exclaimed.

Everyone Apparated back to their respective homes, except for Ivy and Charlie.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"No." Ivy said under her breath. "Is it ok if I stay here by myself for a while?"

"Yeah. Sure. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Ivy nodded. "It'll get better, Ivy." Charlie kissed her cheek and left.

-0-

"Ivy's not back yet." Fred said. He, Katie, Angie, and George were seated in the dining room of the flat above the shop.

"She's probably with Charlie," Katie offered, "They've gotten awfully close."

"Charlie's got to Floo to Romania in the morning, so he's staying at the Burrow. I know Ivy's not going to be able to stay the night. She should be back." Fred said.

"Should we go look for her?" George asked.

"After dinner, I think." Angie agreed.

"Ivy is a grown adult, I'm sure she's fine." Katie said.

Fred and George exchanged worried looks, but continued to dig into their food.

"_Molly!" Ivy yelled in the kitchen of the Burrow._

_It was four in the morning and the small part of Ivy that was not in pain felt as if she was intruding._

"_Molly!" She called again._

"Expelliarmus!" _A voice came from the stairs. _

"_Blimey, Molly, no need to curse." _

"_What is the difference between Fred and George Weasley's patronous?" The voice called out, getting closer._

"_Fred's has got more spots. Molly, please." Ivy's voice was agonized by the pain she was in._

_Mrs. Weasley hurried down the stairs. "What's going on, Ivy?" She asked, handing Ivy her wand back._

"_The lights."_

_Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand and the lights of the kitchen turned on._

"_Molly, I need you to heal me."_

_At this point, Mr. Weasley and Charlie Weasley came down the stairs to aid Mrs. Weasley in case there was an intruder. _

_But it was no intruder. Mrs. Weasley had Ivy lying on the kitchen table, blood all over her body._

"_How is it that every year I'm healing you?" Mrs. Weasley said. She took a rag out of a boiling cauldron and placed in on one of Ivy's wounds._

"_I'm attracted to danger, Molly." Ivy said cheekily._

"_That explains why you're friends with my sons."_

"_Blimey! What happened?" Charlie asked when he and Mr. Weasley entered the kitchen._

"_Bloody Death Eaters. I'll have to run once I'm healed. I got Avery, but I only injured Flint. He'll be looking for me."_

"_How'd you get Avery? He's their best dueler." Mr. Weasley asked._

"_My dashing good looks." Ivy tried to flash a smile, but the harsh movement of her head and face reopened the wound on her neck. "Bloody hell." She gurgled._

_Mrs. Weasley spent hours healing and bandaging every mark on Ivy's body._

"_They got you pretty badly." Mrs. Weasley commented._

"_I figure I got too close. Flint can't duel for shite, but he's got a cursed blade. Watch out for him." Ivy sat up. "Anything else, I need, Molly?"_

"_You should heal up quickly. I don't know anything about scarring, but the wounds are closing."_

"_Be on alert, I hope I didn't lead Death Eaters here."_

"_Ivy, please don't do anything dangerous." _

"_Tell Fred and George I'm alive, yeah?" Ivy Disapperated. _

Two hours after dinner, Angie and Katie left Fred and George alone.

"She's still not here, George."

"Katie's right. She's an adult, she can handle herself."

"What about all those times she needed our help and we didn't go find her? When her parents died, when she was attacked, when Flint got her all locked in a broom closet. We've always thought Ivy could handle herself. What if she can't?"

"Then go find her, Fred. Do us all a favor and tell her you love her while you're at it?"


	10. I'm Serious, I'm Sorry

**I'm actually not fond of this chapter, but thanks for reading, anyway. -alienoctopus**

_...and rolled out like a bear hug_

"Charlie!" Fred called from the Burrow's kitchen. He called out again.

"What's all the fuss?" Mrs. Weasley asked, coming into the kitchen.

"I need Charlie. Is Ivy here?" Fred asked.

"No, I don't believe so. I don't think she'd sneak in with Charlie." She said.

No one was around to appreciate the irony of that statement, as Ivy had snuck into the Burrow with Charlie countless times.

"Charlie!" Fred yelled again.

"Oh, calm down. I'm sure he's on his way."

Just as Mrs. Weasley spoke, Charlie was bounding down the stairs.

"Geor—Fred? What's wrong? Are you ok?" Charlie asked, worried.

"Have you seen Ivy? She hasn't come home yet. Is she with you?" Fred didn't realize how close he had gotten to Charlie, but by the end of his questioning, they were nose and nose.

"Whoa, Fred. Calm down. I'm sure she's still at her parents." Charlie took a step back.

Fred backed down a bit, too. "Her parents?" He asked. "What's she still doing there?"

"She wanted some time alone in the house. I let her be there. That's a lot to say good-bye to."

Fred nodded his head vigorously, but without thought. He suddenly had to make sure Ivy was really all right.

"Thanks. Sorry. George and I were worried, is all." Fred said flatly.

"I'm sure."

"Now don't you come back here just to cause a fuss, Fred Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "If you're going to visit, then you're going to visit."

"Yes, Mum." He said. He Disapperated with no further explanation.

-0-

"Who's there?" Ivy yelled out when she heard the crack of Apparation. She whipped out her wand and searched the room.

Her insides squirmed. No one should know where her parents' house was. Before the war, she had taken many precautions so that no one would be able to find it.

She backed up through the kitchen, her wand in front of her, until she bumped into a warm body from behind.

"Expelliarmus!" She turned around and quickly shot the spell at the intruder. "Oh, fuck! Fred!"

Fred was pushed into the wall of the kitchen while his wands flew across the room.

"Freddie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's ok." He grunted as he tried to stand back up. "I should've announced myself. I'm sorry."

"What are you doing here?" Ivy asked once she regained her composure.

"You didn't come back to the flat. George and I were worried."

"It's only been a few hours." Ivy said. She walked into the living room. Fred followed.

"It's so strange," She said, "being here, I mean." She walked to the staircase. "When I was six, I tripped down these stairs. Mum and Dad told me I tumbled and landed with absolute grace. Mum always told me that's when she knew I was like her. Dad had no idea of what we were until I got my Hogwarts letter. He was mad, I remember. He was mad Mum never told him. For a long time, I agreed with him. When she took me to Diagon Alley for the first time, I was angry. I was kept away from our world." Ivy walked to the window in the front of the living room.

"I read all of my magic books in front of this window," she continued, "Mum let me practice simple spells. It scared Dad. I think I was scared, too."

Fred couldn't take his eyes off Ivy. Her glamour charms had worn off. In the shadows of the house, her face looked yellow and gaunt rather than her slightly tan complexion and healthy, full face. Her scars made her appear grotesque—eerily alive when it looked like she shouldn't be. She moved slowly back into the kitchen with Fred on her heels.

"I didn't understand why Mum kept magic hidden for so long. But then the war started. I understood completely. She wanted to protect Dad and me. I think I would've done what she did, too, if I had a family. I almost did.

I wish I had, honestly. Mum was so angry when I told her I was part of a resistance against Voldemort. She was even worse when I told her I was strategizing for the Order. She wanted me to come home and hide with her and Dad. He blamed her for it, you know. Me being in the war. I made them worry for so long. And I couldn't come back. I had Death Eaters on my tail as soon as it all began. I couldn't lead them to my parents.

Mum felt guilty, I think. That's why she came to the Battle of Hogwarts. She wanted to fight by my side." Ivy felt her throat close. She wiped her dribbling nose on her sleeve.

Fred took a step closer, but she stepped away. Ivy stood in front of the wall the kitchen shared with the living room.

"Our kitchen table was right here, in front of this wall. Mum would sit there," she pointed opposite her, "and I sat there," she pointed to her right. "This was always Dad's seat." She turned, looking at the wall.

Fred stepped to her side and followed her gaze. Deep-set in the wallpaper was a dark, splattered stain.

Ivy broke down before him. Literally crumpled to the floor in a heap.

"He was right there when I told him." She choked out.

Fred had no words for Ivy. He didn't know how to comfort her.

He had experienced the intensity of her emotions before. He had seen her incredibly angry—he had seen her fight, curse, and kill. He had seen her jubilant, gorgeous, confident, vulnerable, exhausted, obsessive, envious, starved, heartbroken, and determined. He has seen her dance and jump; he has seen her fall asleep in class and stay awake for hours. Fred thought he has seen all there was to Ivy.

He had never seen her fall onto her knees and weep.

Fred had seen her cry before, but never this deep, moaning lament. It made his insides twist inside of him. He was ashamed that he never knew that Ivy had this in her— that she needed to do this. He had no idea what to do. He knew that he wanted to hold her. He wanted to wipe her tears until her face was dry, even if it took all night. He wanted to share her pain and cry along with her.

But distant thoughts of Katie kept him from doing this. Fred cared about Katie, of that he was sure. But every time he felt the square bulge in his pocket, he recoiled. He was filled with constant, nagging anxiety, as if he knew even thinking about proposing to Katie was wrong.

Fred knew with every whimpering cry Ivy made that he was making a mistake with Katie. He felt more heartbroken that Ivy was experiencing this despair than he did at the thought of ending things with his girlfriend.

Ivy stood up and brushed herself off. With a great sniffle, she attempted to breathe more evenly. She wiped her cheeks with the hem of her sleeve. "I'm sorry, Fred." She said hoarsely.

"No, Ives, you needed that." Fred was now at her side, his hand rubbing her back. "You can't hold those things in forever, you know." He added gently.

"I wish I could." Ivy leaned her head on Fred's shoulder, both of them still staring at the blood-stained wall.

"Can you Apparate us back? I don't think I can." Ivy asked, her voice shaking.

Fred nodded and held her close, bringing them back to the flat.

"Katie left, Fred. She was tired of waiting and went home." Angelina said when she heard Fred in the flat.

She and George looked at the two people who had just Apparated in.

"Merlin, Ivy! Are you ok?" George exclaimed. In addition to the visibility of her battle scars, Ivy's face was puffy and her eyes were red.

"She's fine, George, just needs a bit of rest. Why don't you go lie down, Ivy? I'll wake you up for some tea later?" Fred said.

Ivy nodded and mindlessly walked to her bedroom, barely acknowledging George and Angie.

Once Fred knew Ivy was out of earshot, he sat down with his brother and his sister-in-law. "I need to break up with Katie." He said.

"To go after Ivy?" George asked hopefully.

"No. She's with Charlie now. I won't ruin that for either of them."

"Then why?" Angie asked.

Fred didn't know Angelina knew about his feelings for Ivy, but at this point, didn't care.

"Because I can't be with Katie. I don't love her like I'm supposed to. It's not fair to either of us."

"About bloody time you realized that." George said. "Fancy a butterbeer?"

"Yes." Fred said desperately.


	11. Everything is Terrible

**I do not like this chapter. It was the hardest to write and edit. I'm still not even sure if I should publish it yet, but here it is. **

**On that note, we're getting very close to the end. Thanks for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing. You guys are great. -alienoctopus**

_In April, I stared out the window for a fucking month_

"Do you think Fred is going to propose to me soon?" Katie Bell asked two of her friends, Angelina Johnson and Ivy Blythe.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, a time in which Angie and Katie would meet for tea.

In what she thought was an act of kindness, Angie invited Ivy to get Ivy out of the flat and into the world. She and the twins noticed that, even with dating Charlie and working, she very rarely left her home.

Unfortunately, it didn't feel so kind, considering Katie was dating the man Ivy was in love with.

Oops.

"Erm, I don't know…" Angie trailed off, hoping to get off the subject.

"We've been dating a long time now. I'm really expecting it to happen soon!" She aid excitedly. "What do you think, Ivy? You live with Fred. Has he said anything?"

"Fred and I don't exactly talk about that sort of thing." Ivy muttered, gulping down her tea.

Angelina was the only one of the three witches that knew Fred was planning to end things with Katie based on his love for Ivy.

"You and Fred have been friends literally for_ever_, how has he not said anything to you?" Katie asked again.

_"I see Diggory, but no Ivy. Where is she?" Fred asked during dinner._

_It was later in the evening, and most students were finished with dinner and back in their dormitories. _

_But Fred stayed behind with his twin, waiting for their friend._

_"She didn't tell you?" George asked._

_"Tell me what?"_

_"Diggory broke up with her last night. She hasn't even been to classes today. Angie said she's been in her bed all day." George said._

_"Why would he break up with Ives?" _

_"I dunno. She didn't say."_

_Fred was angry. No one had the right to break his friend's heart! He growled and stood up._

_"Where are you going?" George asked._

_"To find out what happened."_

_"Fred, don't. Ivy doesn't want you to do anything, I'm sure."_

_But Fred ignored George. He ignored the voice in his head not to do what he was about to do. He ignored the feeling in his stomach from Ivy not telling him that Diggory ended things. Fred walked up to the Hufflepuff table. _

_"Oi, Diggory!" His voice carried further than he expected. Though it wasn't crowded, he could still feel a mass amount of people watching him._

_"Fred, what's going on?" Cedric asked cordially. _

_"Why'd you break up with Ivy?" He asked._

_"It's complicated, Fred. It's more than I want to get into now, but trust me, it's for the best."_

_"I know it's for the best because she not dating your arse anymore. But you hurt her and she does not deserve that."_

_"I think you best stay out of it." Cedric was genuinely hurt that he broke up with Ivy. But he knew in his heart that he belonged with someone else, and that the heartbreak would go away for both he and Ivy._

_"I don't think I will." _

_"Fred, cool it. Maybe you should speak to Ivy about this instead of me."_

_Cedric was trying his best to remain calm, but he and Fred were now neck and neck._

_"I cared about Ivy quite a bit, and I still do. But it was best for the both of us to end things." Cedric tried to explain to himself. _

_At this point, George decided to come intervene. _

_"Fred, Ivy's been cryin' all day. I think we should go see her. Sorry, Cedric." George tried to pull his twin away. But instead, Fred lifted his arm and his fist met with Cedric's cheek._

_"Don't make my friends cry." He said darkly. He finally went with George._

"Fred and I _really_ don't talk about those sorts of things." Ivy answered.

"You should try and find out for me! The whole idea makes me so anxious!"

Ivy squirmed in her seat. She knew that Fred had a ring picked out and everything, but saying that out loud to Katie would feel like a betrayal to herself.

She looked at the excitable Katie. She was a new puppy who was ready to wet the carpet. It was if the girl knew Ivy had a secret.

"Fred's got a ring." Ivy brought herself to say.

Katie's jaw dropped to the floor. "Have you seen it?"

"It's lovely. It'll look great." Ivy smiled weakly.

Angelina was ready to explode. She knew that Fred has purchased and engagement ring for Katie, but she also knew he wasn't planning on proposing. She knew that Fred was in love with Ivy, and Ivy was in love with Fred.

Katie sat there, brimming with glee, and Angie knew her heart was going to be broken.

-0-

"Katie knows you bought an engagement ring." Angelina said as soon as she got to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Fred dropped the product he was shelving. "What?!"

"Verity, watch over the store. Both of you, upstairs." George said.

The three met in the flat.

"How does she know?" Fred asked.

"Ivy told her."

"Ivy—bloody—why?" George stuttered out.

"Because Katie kept asking her if she knew anything about Fred proposing."

Fred shouted a string of explicative.

"You can't exactly blame her," Angie said, "Ivy's been dating Charlie and is under the impression that Fred has no romantic feelings for her whatsoever."

"Our plan, Angie!" George exclaimed.

"Plan? What plan?" Fred asked.

The mood drastically changed from terror to anger.

"Er, well, Angie and I may have devised a plan to get you and Ivy together."

"When?"

"Before Charlie and Ivy started dating."

"You didn't even know I—"

"It wasn't for you, Fred." Angie said. "Ivy's in love with you, too."

George and Angelina explained everything to Fred.

They told him how Ivy's been in love with him since Hogwarts. That she had been sleeping with Charlie for years, and that's why they set her and Charlie up.

"But you admitted you love Ivy _before_ you left Katie, which mucks things up a bit." Angie said.

Fred's head was in his hands. "Merlin," he said, lifting his head, "What do I do?"

"You need to break up with Katie. We'll talk to Charlie about Ivy. He knows that they would be short-lived." George said.

Fred took the ring off the table in front of him and pocketed it.

"This will all work out, right?" He asked.

"Of course it will, mate."

-0-

"You need to break up with Ivy." George said into his fireplace. He was speaking to his brother, Charlie, over the Floo Network.

"What? Why?" Charlie asked.

"Because Fred finally realized he needs to leave Katie and be with Ivy."

"Well, fuck. Things were starting to get good, actually." Charlie admitted.

"Charlie, I'm really sorry, ok? But you knew this was the goal going in."

"I know. Ok. Well. I'm not going to like this."

"You know it'll make Ivy happy."

"I have to go, George."

"Ok, just—"

Charlie ended the call.

He was at a crossroads. He knew Ivy's feelings, and he wanted her to be happy. But a part of him liked being with her. He was starting to invest more than just sex into their relationship, and even though it wasn't the strongest of bonds, it still meant something to him.

He took a deep breath, and sent an owl out to Ivy.

-0-

_Ivy,_

_You work until 6, right? Can you meet me at the Burrow for dinner?_

_Charlie_

Ivy folded up the letter and sent the owl back with a response.

"Ivy, can I talk to you?" Madame Rosmerta said upon her arrival.

"Sure, Rosie." Ivy followed her to a back room.

"I know, I know. Time's up. I was able to sell the house and everything, but I'm about 10,000 galleons short. But I can get it—"

"It's not about that, exactly."

"Then what?"  
"I found another buyer, Ivy. The Leaky Cauldron wants to combine the brands. Tom's offered me a million galleons."

"But, Rosie—"

"That's not all."

Ivy gulped. This sounded like it was about to get worse.

And it did.

"He's bringing most of his staff here. Ivy, you need to find another job."

"No. No, Rosie, I don't know how to do anything else."

"I hope you understand, Ivy. It's a lot of money—just imagine! A million galleons!"

"I'm going to go home."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks for everything." Ivy Disapparated.

_"You can't be here." Rosmerta said. Her voice did not seem to be her own._

_Ivy was convinced that Rosmerta has been Imperiused earlier that summer, but now she had proof. Rosmerta would never fire her. Ivy was too good at her job._

_Then Rosmerta said something else. "Ivy, go. It's not safe here." Her voice has changed. It was strained, but it sounded much more like the Rosmerta she knew._

_Ivy nodded and got out of the Three Broomsticks. She knew she couldn't go back until things were safer._

_Two years later, Ivy had received an owl from the older woman, asking her to return to the Three Broomsticks. Ivy helped restore Madame Rosmerta's name and the Three Broomsticks._

Ivy knew she would not be receiving any owls from Rosmerta. She knew that this was it. She was fuming when she entered the Burrow.

"Ivy! You're early." Charlie said from the kitchen.

Ivy's head turned to a clock—five in the afternoon.

"Sorry. I hadn't noticed."

"Is something wrong?" Mrs. Weasley asked when she noticed the bite in the girl's voice.

"Madame Rosmerta let me go."

"That was nice of her, letting you go early, though." Charlie said.

"No—she _let me go_. I don't work there any more."

"I'm so sorry, dear." Molly gave Ivy a quick hug around the shoulders.

"What happened to her selling you the bar?" Charlie asked.

Ivy told Charlie what happened.

All day, Charlie had felt worse and worse with every hour, but not the pit in his stomach was unbearable.

Ivy had lost her job, and now he had to break up with her.

Charlie tried to calm himself down. Yes—things seemed bad. But Ivy and Fred!

Over time, she will find happiness. It just wouldn't be tonight.

He swallowed. "Ivy, can we talk?"

-0-

Ivy got to the flat in tears. This day could not get any worse.

True, she and Charlie were moving at a snail's pace emotionally. She knew it would never work out with him in the end, but having someone care about her in the romantic sense was nice to have. Without that feeling, she felt a hole in her heart.

And that hole was expanded due to the loss of her job. Ivy had hoped she wouldn't be stuck at the Three Broomsticks forever, but she was good at her job. It was something she was qualified for.

Those things were lost now, and Ivy felt terrible. With her bedroom in sight, things started to feel better.

"Ives? What's wrong?" George stopped her on the way to her room.

She wiped her eyes. "It's—just—"

Fred, who had just come in, interrupted her.

"Fred, I thought you were out with—"

"Katie and I are engaged." Fred said bitterly.

Ivy couldn't handle it. She ran to her room.


	12. They Didn't Give Me Much

**This story is getting very close to an end, and the closer I get, the harder each chapter is to write. I hope this one isn't springing something insane on you guys. I know it's very, very, very slightly out of left field, but I don't think it's unbelievable.** **Anyway, thank you all for the overwhelming response to this story. You're the coolest. -alienoctopus**

_I don't want October. I don't want November. I don't want to feel those crippling blows._

It had been months since Fred saw Ivy.

As soon as she heard after the announcement, she moved out of the flat about the joke shop without saying a word.

He wasn't able to ask anyone where she had gone, or why she wasn't around anymore. Katie was down his throat about setting the wedding date, and she seemed pretty content with Ivy not being in his life. Anytime he would try to ask George or Angie about her, Katie would change the subject to whatever wedding idea was on her mind.

What kind of flowers, what color this, what person does that—Katie and her questions rarely left Fred's side.

_"You're not in Hogwarts anymore, Fred. You _can_ move on from your old friends. I don't think I've spoken to Alicia since before the war." Katie said angrilly. She had a book of color swatches—just colors! Fred couldn't wrap his mind around that. Shouldn't everyone know colors? But apparently he and his fiancée needed a book of them, each color more bleak than the last. _

_"Ivy and I have been through a lot. I never expected her to just up and leave."_

_"Fred, I know it's not easy, but it's for the best. I know Ivy. She was in my dormitory for seven years. I know what she did, and probably still does. You're better off without her."_

_"How could you even say that, Katie? She's been one of my best friends since we were eleven. I've lost a piece of myself without her."_

_"A bad piece. Fred—Ivy didn't get a N.E.W.T. in Herbology because she paid attention in class. You know what she was doing."_

_Fred stayed silent; partly knowing Katie might have a point, and partly out of missing his friend._

But now Fred and his brother were finally alone, closing up their shop.

"George, have you heard from Ivy lately?" Fred asked his twin.

"I have, actually. I saw her the other day at the apothecary." George lied. George and Ivy met up once every Monday, just so George would know she's alive and so Ivy can get an update on Fred.

"Really?" Fred was interested in finding out where his friend went. "How is she?"

"Not good, mate." This part was true. Ivy was not doing well.

"Why?"

"Just not good. She invited me over later, actually, so I'll tell her you asked."

"Why can't I go with?"

"I'm sure you have plans with Katie."

George had been short with Fred since the engagement. Fred understood why—he didn't break it off with Katie.

George seemed to have some grand plan that ended with Fred and Ivy together. But Fred knew it wouldn't ever happen, deep down.

And his proposal to Katie? Well, that was kind of a mistake, and he knew that.

But Katie knew he had a ring, and she had a niffler-like quality to sniff it out. He was trapped. He _had_ to propose to her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fred." George said when they put up wards around the shop. He walked away, leaving Fred feeling left out.

-0-

"Ivy, what the hell is this place?"

"My new flat." Ivy told George plainly.

"This is hardly even a room. Are—are you sleeping on the floor?" He asked when he saw a pile of blankets on the floor by the window.

"Yeah, I haven't found a bed that will fit yet."

"At least you have a window."

Ivy was living in a very small room down Knockturn Alley. The walls had holes and the carpet was stained, and the whole place reeked of something oddly familiar. Firewhiskey bottles lines the walls. Ivy's clothes were strewn across the place.

"You're not doing wormwood essence again, are you?" George asked when he saw the specific ways in which her cauldrons were set up. He knew the answer already.

"Oh, George, I can't keep anything from you, can I?" She said.

Ivy was shaking where she stood and spoke strangely and lucidly.

"Just—just lay down."

Ivy sat on the floor with her back against the wall and smiled widely at George.

"Sit with me, Georgie!" She giggled. George sat next to her.

"You look like shit, Ives."

"Thank you."

"I thought you stopped this after Hogwarts."

"I didn't really have much of a choice, I don't think. I'm selling it, actually. I make, I test, I sell. Big demand around here, believe it or not."

George slung his arm around her shoulder.

"Is that how you've been working? No job, just making wormwood essence?

"Yeah. That, and I've sold some blood to St. Mungo's. Stuff like that."

"Merlin."

_"Ivy? I didn't know you had detention." George said when he saw Ivy._

_It was towards the end of their sixth year, and Ivy and the twins had been growing apart since the Yule Ball. _

_They were busy trying to blackmail Ludo Bagman into giving them their due, and Ivy was…well, they had no idea anymore._

_"Not surprised to see you in here, though." Ivy said flatly._

_"What did you do?" He asked._

_"You know, things. Like usual." Ivy, whenever she got a detention, it was typically for helping the twins, starting a duel—simple things._

_"Fred and I set off a bunch of fireworks in the dungeon."_

_"Like usual," Ivy smirked, "Where's Fred, then?"_

_"Late, clearly."_

_Fred arrived exactly the moment Professor Snape did._

_"Weasley! Sit down." Snape barked. "You three will be serving detention for two hours tonight. Miss Blythe, seeing as you cannot be trusted near potions ingredients, I expect a two-foot essay from you at the end of the two hours on the dangers of wormwood. You should be adept at that."_

_Ivy blushed out of embarrassment. She was hoping to keep her use of the mood-enhancing, hallucinatory ingredient—or, as Muggles would describe it, drug—away from the twins._

_"As for you two, I expect all of the storeroom to be organized and catalogued."_

_Snape expected dirty looks from the Weasley twins—which was normal—but instead those looked found their way to Ivy._

_The potions master left the teens alone to do their work, knowing that if anything were to go wrong, he'd hear it._

_"Bloody hell, Ivy. Wormwood? You know how dangerous that could be?" Fred hissed at her._

_"Please, like Firewhiskey is any different." She shot back at him._

_"It _is_," he defended, "Firewhiskey isn't illegal. Pure wormwood is."_

_"Just like blackmail is, hmm?"_

_Fred shut up quickly after that one. He went to the storeroom to begin his punishment._

_"Ivy, what's going on?" George asked gently as she begun her essay._

_"Nothing."_

_"Tell me."_

_"I'm not smart, George," Ivy said, "My O.W.L.s were terrible—"_

_"So were mine and Fred's."_

_"But you have a dream to follow, something you'll actually do. I don't have anything like that. I have…an assortment of classes that don't make sense together. Potions, Herbology, History of Magic, Charms—there's no work out there for that combination. I don't have something to work towards. So I've gotten bored. _

_A Hufflepuff, one of Cedric's old friends, he gave me some wormwood last year. It's ridiculously hard to purify and then re-dilute to get the right effects, so it's not easy to come by. So I started making it. It's given me something to put my energy into over the last year. But, this morning, Snape caught me selling some to one of his precious Slytherins."_

_"Ivy."_

_"Don't say my name as if you're all disappointed. It's not killing anyone. If anything, it makes people happier for a brief moment."_

_"You could've gotten expelled."_

_Ivy scratched at her parchment._

_"We're just worried about you."_

_"You weren't before."_

_Ivy stung George, who retreated to his twin._

The two friends sat like that until George finally spoke.

"Fred asked about you."

Ivy's heart leapt out of her chest and then fell right to the floor.

"Oh?"

"I told him you're not well."

I felt herself sobering up. She stood. "Why would you tell him that?"

"It's not a lie."

"George," Ivy sighed, "Then where is he? When is Fred going to come save me, because I'm tired of waiting for him."

"You don't need Fred to save you! If you need anybody, you have me, Charlie, Mum—"

"Do you know what it's like seeing you? Your family? You're all walking reminders of Fred. Fred—who, once upon a time, would throw a curse at anyone who looked at me strange. He's taken half of the detentions I've ever received. He punched Cedric Diggory for me. He was my first kiss, for Merlin's sake. I'm sick of helping myself. I'm sick of seeing Fred everywhere. He needs to just bloody marry Katie so I can stop thinking that there's a chance he's going to show up at my door and whisk me away."

George stood up, several inches taller than his friend, and backed her up into a counter.

"Ivy, and I mean this with all the love and care I have for you, shut the fuck up. You don't need my brother to come save you. You've battled Death Eaters in your own. You've helped plan a war. _You're_ the one who saves people. As for 'whisking you away' from this—you created this. This mess here," he pointed at the cauldrons and general filth of her flat, "this is your own. Save yourself from it. I'll be here for you whenever you need me to be—anyone who cares about you will— but you can save yourself. You don't need my fool of a twin for that."

Ivy did something George didn't expect. Something George very rarely saw, and was sure he was the only one, save for maybe Fred, to ever see.

She slumped back down onto the floor and began to cry.


	13. not the chapter you're looking for

**I NEED YOUR HELP! ** **So, I've been considering writing a companion story to this one. It would consist of random writings about the time Ivy and the twins spent at Hogwarts and, unlike this story, wouldn't necessarily come to an end. ** **I've written a chapter of it already, and this is it. This has nothing to do with furthering "A Shine to It." It's a thing of its own with the same characters. It's short. it's just a taste. ** **Moments of the past that bring this story to light. Stuff like that.** **What I need you to do is to let me know if you'd be interested in reading that companion story.** **And don't worry, I should have the real next chapter up in a few hours or so.** **Thank you for reading.** **-alienoctopus**

Third Year: Divination

"I need to know if you guys are going to win against Slytherin this weekend. I've got a couple extra galleons I'd like to place on you." Ivy said when she took her seat with the twins in Divination.

Ivy absolutely hated this class. She chalked it up to her not understanding it fully- which was normal for her- but it was also because she didn't believe it in the least.

"We'll have to consult a crystal ball for that one." George laughed.

"Come of it, George, you know we'll-"

Fred was cut off by the almost ghostly voice of Professor Trelawney.

"Today!" She said, startling her students, "We will be learning the art of reading tea leaves. Though it is an ancient practice, with correct interpretations and a vast knowledge of symbols, it is still an accurate practice." Professor Trelawney waved her wand and a tea pot was summoned to each table, along with mismatched teacups. "Your tea must be poured into you cup by another person, preferably the person on your left. When you drink your tea, lift the cup with your less dominant hand. Upon finishing your tea, place the cup upside down on the saucer for two minutes. Then your tea leaves will have settled into the placement they were fated to be. After that, you can begin interpreting the leaves."

Ivy and the twins poured each others tea.

"Eurgh, you think the tea would taste better considering it's going to tell us when and how we'll all die." Ivy said.

"Maybe if we added sugar?" George suggested.

"Professor, do you have any sugar for this tea? It isn't very good." Fred asked loudly.

"Additives will take away from the readings, my dear." Professor Trelawney answered dreamily.

Ivy took a sip, and then raised her hand.

"Yes?" Professor Trelawey awaited the question.

"Is it possible that my tea leaves with predict what George's tea leaves will say?" Ivy asked, feigning sincerity.

Fred and George snorted into their teacups.

"Your readings will be specific to yourself. It takes years of practice to read things for others."

"All right, follow up question: can my tea leaves tell me what my tea leaves ten years from now will read?" Ivy asked.

Professor Trelawney noticed a hint of cheek in Ivy's questions, but chose to ignore it. "No, that isn't likely, though I cannot deny it isn't impossible."

Ivy downed her yea and nearly slammed it on the saucer. She was finished much faster than most of the class.

"I dunno how you two can just sit there and sip that horrible tea." She commented. "It's much easier to just swallow and be done with." Before the two minutes for her teacup was up, Ivy took it off the saucer and started prodding at the sediment.

"I think you're onto something, Ives. Down the hatch!" Fred said before he tossed back the rest of his tea. He grimaced and slammed down his cup like Ivy did.

Ivy started giggled.

"What're you laughing at?" George asked.

Ivy showed him and Fred the inside of her cup. She had pushed her tea leaves around to look like a middle finger.

"Professor!" She called out.

Professor Trelawney appeared next to the table.

"Professor, I'm not sure about my reading of this." Ivy said, indicating her teacup.

"Why don't you tell me and the class what you see and what you think it means? We can all read your cup as an example." Professor Trelawney suggested.

Ivy grinned. This was the best possible thing to happen.

"Yeah, well, it looks like the leaves are flipping me the bird. Are they telling me that I'm going to get fucked, or is it about someone else?"

The twins lost it. They laughed so hard, one of the teacups fell off the table and broke.

Professor Trelawney never looked offended. She wrote something down on a piece of parchment and sent it throughout the corridors of Hogwarts. "Your head of house is waiting for you, I'm sure, Miss Blythe. _Never_, in all my years at Hogwarts... Leave my class! See your head of house!"

Ivy left the tower laughing loudly. Her Divination class could hear her even after she left.


	14. How Much Lower Can I Get?

**This chapter's all right. I like the flashback that's in here.** **I am going to start the complimentary story to this one later this week, filled with drabbles about the twins and Ivy during their Hogwarts years. It'll all be fun and cute.** **I think it's going to be about five or so more chapters before this story is over.  
Thanks for reading, as always, and thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed! -alienoctopus**

_Malt liquor doesn't make you young. _

"You need to check this place out." George said.

He and Angelina have been trying to talk Ivy into opening her own bar, and Angie had found some excellent real estate for her to look into.

"George, I'm telling you, I don't know if that's what I want to do." Ivy said exasperatedly.

"Oh, shut it, Ivy. You'd brew things all the time at Hogwarts. Our dormitory would smell awful because of it—but you always had drinks. Good drinks, too. Better than butterbeer."

"Just drop it. I've got a job." Ivy said.

"Really?" George perked up, excited for his friend.

"Where?" Angie asked.

"Have you heard of Greensnake?"

"That nightclub? The one that requires a password to get in?" George asked.

"The password this Friday is _Comet 310_, for the new broom. I'm bartending there."

"No!" George exclaimed. "You cannot work in a nightclub. Nightclubs are for cheesy wizards who think they're better than Merlin, and witches who don't know any better."

"It's a job that has a paycheck, which means I can afford a better place to live."

Angie looked at her skeptically.

"What?" Ivy asked, noticing the look.

"Ivy—what happened to all the money you saved when you were going to buy the Three Broomsticks?"

George's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that. Ivy had been living on almost no money, yet she had saved almost half a million galleons.

"I spent half of it on a new cauldron set, you know supplies." Ivy said. She shifted uncomfortably. Angie nodded in understanding.

George, however, was fuming. He was ashamed for his friend—that she threw half her money away on drugs, and knowing Ivy, alcohol. He would have cursed her out, but he knew that she needed support and understanding. She was trying to clean herself up—it was for the best that she disregarded the money she had and rather focused on what she needed to make a good life for herself.

"We found a place for the reception!" Katie Bell's voice resounded throughout George and Angie's home.

"Please, Katie, let yourself in." George said snidely.

"She's with me, George." Fred's voice called.

The two visitors made their way into the kitchen.

"Oh, Ivy. I didn't know you'd be here." Katie said when she sat down at the table next to Angie.

"Always nice to see you, Katie. Fred." Ivy nodded at the twin.

Fred and Ivy had not spoken nor seen each other since she left the flat at 92 Diagon Alley.

Ivy looked at George worriedly. The last thing she wanted was for Fred to know about her relapses.

Seeing Ivy was strange for Fred. There was a moment, months ago now, when he thought he would have left Katie. He would have taken Ivy and kissed her hard.

She looked like a wreck, worse than she did when Fred saw her without glamour charms on her scars. Her hair looked matted and bags drew her eyes down.

"How are you, Ives?" Fred asked tentatively.

"Great." She said. She flashed Fred a shaky smile.

"Ok, ok—Katie, you picked a place for the reception? Does this mean there's a date for the wedding?" Angie asked.

"No date yet—I've been trying to get Freddie here to agree on one! But we've found a place once we know. Have you heard of that nightclub, Greensnake?"

Ivy cursed under her breath. "I have. I didn't know they did receptions."

Fuck, fuck, fuck, she thought.

"Neither did I! But I was doing research, and because it was built in the old, old vaults of Gringotts, a lot of wizards like to hold parties and such down there. It's really sort of elegant, I think. Have any of you seen it? We should all go this weekend." Katie suggested.

"I'm working this weekend, sorry." Ivy mumbled out. But Angie and George nodded and agreed on joining Katie and Fred.

"You've found a job?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe where." Ivy laughed sardonically.

"Where?"

Ivy stood before she could answer. "I've got to go. Thanks for having me over." She flooed to her flat before anyone could say good-bye.

"Ever since her and Charlie broke up, it's so hard to hang out around Ivy, isn't it? Because we're all paired off and she's—well, it looks like it's taking a toll on her, I suppose." Katie commented, mainly to Angie.

Normally, when Katie would say something like that to Fred, he would lightly scold her. But he was distracted.

"Ivy's got a job?" He asked his twin.

"Oh, yeah," George laughed at the very clear irony, "she's a barmaid at Greensnake."

Fred nodded. Katie gasped. "I wonder if she could get us a good deal on rental!" She exclaimed.

_Fred had been drawing absent-minded circles on Ivy's hand for the better part of an hour. She had approached him, stressed out over N.E.W.T. classes, Umbridge, and her impending future in the real wizarding world in the next few months, and asked if they could just sit in his dormitory and forget things for a while._

_Fred jumped at the chance to get to talk to his friend alone. He and George had been trying to for the last few weeks, but could never seem to get her when she was by herself._

_But now, somehow, Ivy had fallen asleep on Fred's bed next to him, while Fred fiddled with her hand—trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to her._

_"Somethin' on your mind, sunshine?" Ivy yawned over her words._

_"What?" Fred asked._

_"I said _something on your mind, sunshine_? You seem distracted."_

_"We're leaving soon." He said without thinking._

_"What?"_

_"George and I."_

_"I got that—where are you going? Why?" Ivy was beginning to panic._

_"We've found a space for our shop. There's a flat above it. We bought it."_

_"No! That's fantastic."_

_"And we're going to leave sometime this week. There's no reason for George and I to stay here."_

_Ivy somehow kept herself from saying "Me." She held her tongue. She knew this was something the twins wanted—needed, really. She was not a good enough reason for them to tough out the next couple months, especially with N.E.W.T.s coming up._

_"When?" She choked out._

_"Two days from now, we're thinking. Ives, don't worry," Fred kissed her head gently, "we're not disappearing."_

_"It's dangerous out there." She whispered darkly. "With Voldemort coming back—those Death Eaters who broke out of Azkaban—"_

_"—George and I are pretty clever blokes, if you haven't noticed. We can hold our own."_

_Ivy bit her lip._

_"I know you'll miss us. You don't have to say it."_


	15. It's Only a First Kiss if There's More

**I considered that companion story- I really did. But I figured anything I wrote for it fit in with this story, so I might as well just post it for this story.** **Thank you for reading! -alienoctopus**

**This is a flashback to Goblet of Fire.**

_I know that every moment's fleeting_

Fred breathed heavily down the back of Ivy's neck.

Being the cheeky git he his, Fred thought it would be fun to toss some dung bombs into Mad-Eye Moody's classroom while he was lecturing sixth year Slytherins.

He did not expect that Moody would run after whoever ruined his lesson, nor did he expect to fall over Ivy, who was inexplicably walking down the same corridor towards Moody's classroom.

He grabbed her and dove for a broom closet quicker than Ivy even realized what happened.

Now, they had been silently standing in the closet for almost two minutes.

"You're going to get murdered." Fred could sense Ivy's grin. "He can see through this door, you know."

"It might be worth him turning me into a ferret, though."

Ivy snorted. She shifted around in front of him, trying to find a decent spot to put her ear to the door and listen to Moody ranting out in the corridor. Unfortunately for Fred, this put her bum against his legs. Fred held his breath and within a moment, Ivy realized where she was. She shot right back up, but said nothing. She rested her ear against the door while standing, the back of her head only centimeters away from Fred's nose.

Fred could smell her better than he had before, now that they were in such close quarters, but it was still familiar. Spending most of your time with someone for six years will ensure that their scent is a part of your memory.

"How do you always smell like peppermints?" Fred asked. His whisper tickled Ivy's ear. She shuddered.

"Because I always have peppermints." She said in a similar hushed tone. She took out a peppermint candy from her robe pocket. "Would you like one?"

"Yeah." Fred sucked on his peppermint. He moved his arm, trying to find something to lean on, when his fingers briefly met with Ivy's hips. He sucked in breath hard, but tried to stay quiet.

There had been several moments throughout the last few years in which Fred noticed that one of his closest friends was also becoming a very shapely woman. This was one of them.

"I can still hear Moody raving out there." She whispered with her ear to the door.

Fred could only grunt in understanding, his mind too focused on controlling his erection.

"We should probably have a good story for why we're in here."

Fred, once again, grunted.

_Mum's knickers, Mum's knickers- Percy wearing Mum's knickers! Oh, bloody hell!_ Fred thought as Ivy was inching slightly closer to him.

"What-what were you doing here, anyway?" Fred asked. He swallowed the mouthful of saliva that his mouth seemed to be producing too quickly, and thanked Merlin he had that peppermint, otherwise he was sure his breath was awful.

_Percy wearing Mum's knickers. Percy. Just Percy. _He continued to think.

"I was going to toss these dung bombs in Moody's classroom while he had the Slytherins." Ivy said triumphantly as she took out from her robe a small bag filled with dung bombs.

_Bloody hell_. Fred cursed to himself.

"I think he's coming!" Ivy exclaimed quietly.

Fred listened as well, and heard what was unmistakeably Moody's footsteps, coming closer and closer.

"Trust me." Ivy said, before she turned around and pulled Fred's shoulders down and crashed her lips onto his.

_Fuck._ Fred thought. There was no way Ivy didn't notice his erection now.

Professor Moody opened the door to the broom closet, knowing full well what was going on behind it.

But neither Fred nor Ivy noticed that the door was open.

_She's kissing you. Don't let her get too close. Ivy can't know that you're sporting a great big stonker because she smelled like peppermints. Oh, Merlin._

The two teens were lost for a moment, until Moody barked at them. "Get to class!"

Both Fred and Ivy's eyes shot open, sudden realization of what they were doing hit them at the same moment.

"Yes, sir!" Fred shouted and he and Ivy made the decision to bolt out of the corridor.

"I can see the dung bombs in your pocket, Miss Blythe!" Their teacher yelled after them. Moody cursed under his breath as he made his was back to his classroom.


	16. Was it Kind of Nice to See Me Smile?

**BIG CHAPTER, GUYS. This one had the most re-writes and edits. It was almost something else, but I decided it was time.** **Anyway, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, supporting, messaging, absolutely everything you all do for me! -alienoctopus**

_And I know that it's calm before the storm_

"You cut your hair short. Why?" Charlie asked when he saw Ivy.

Ivy just arrived at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, where everyone was meeting for George's stag party.

"I did, and I hate it. I thought it would be this great statement—a new start and everything. But it looks awful, doesn't it?" Ivy said, running her hand through her now chin-length locks.

"Let's just hope it's not foreshadowing for your new start." George grinned.

"Merlin, Bill's hair is longer than mine!" She exclaimed when she caught sight of the older Weasley.

Ivy suddenly became hyper-aware of her femininity. She started to fear what the night might hold. All of the Weasley boys were there, Lee Jordon, Oliver Wood—even Harry bloody Potter made it to George's stag night.

"All right," Bill said once everyone was there, "we've got a busy night ahead of us. But, first, a toast is in order." He conjured up a glass for everyone and passed them out. "Everyone hold your words, there will be time for everyone to speak throughout the night." He said, pouring something in each of the glasses.

"What is this?" Ivy asked, peering at the liquid in her glass.

"It's a thirty-year firewhisky." Bill said.

"Looks beautiful." She said, admiring the color.

"Everyone, raise your glass," Bill instructed, "To George—I hope you find the same happiness in marriage that I have." Everybody drank their firewhisky. It was smooth and left a perfect burning trail down Ivy's throat. Perhaps this night wouldn't be so unbearable.

-0-

"Sweet Merlin, Ivy! Who had any idea you were that good at dueling?" Bill exclaimed when they arrived at the Hog's Head.

"You didn't see her during the war—a danger to herself, yeah, but a brilliant dueler nonetheless." Charlie said.

The group had gone to a dueling club, where George received a bruised jaw from a well-placed stunning spell, and some of Lee Jordan's hair was burnt. Everyone could still smell the burning hair, but were having too good of a time to do anything about it.

"I don't think I could compete with Harry Potter, though." Ivy said, giving Harry a grand pat on the back. "It's true what they say—you do love your disarming spells."

Harry grinned. "Saved my life more than once, so I figure it could help in kicking arse in a dueling club."

The group sat a long table and put in their drink orders.

"I'm going to step out for a smoke." Ivy told Charlie, who was next to her.

"Still with those Muggle sticks?"

"Blame Geoff Rogers." Ivy said.

"I don't know who that is."

"He was my next door neighbor. He's the one that showed me them." Ivy put on her robe and headed outside.

She stood under the light in front of the Hog's Head and took in her surroundings. Hogsmeade had become so familiar to her. She had spent five years of her life down the road, and now that part of her was over.

There were so many things that were over and Ivy still didn't know how to handle it.

Her life at Hogwarts ended a long time ago, but she still wished to live those moments again.

The war was over, which Ivy was thankful for, but that's when she found a huge part of who she is—a part of her that couldn't survive in a time of peace.

Her friendship with Fred and George, well, that wasn't over, but it wasn't going to be the same. This was George's stag night—he was going to go on and start a family of his own. Ivy's relationship with him was going to change drastically.

Charlie, wonderful attractive Charlie, everything she had with him was over. He was now just a friendly face. She was thankful for it. She was thankful for everything Charlie had done for her, but that had all ended.

And Fred, well, Ivy didn't even want to think about it. But when she heard the pub door open and close behind her, she turned around and saw him standing there and every feeling she ever had for him hit her all at once. She kept it all inside.

"What are you doing out here?" She said, taking a short drag of her Muggle cigarette.

"I thought you could use some company." Fred said, standing in front of her. "Your hair-"

"-I know, it's horrid."

"i was just going to say that I hope it grows very quickly." He laughed.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Ivy said. "All of this time, I never thought of George getting married."

"Me neither. I always thought we'd be bachelors together." Fred sighed.

"But look at you both. You're engaged—this is his stag night, oh Merlin. You guys are moving forward so quickly."

"You'll catch up." Fred said. He took the cigarette out of Ivy's hand and took a drag of it himself. "Tastes just like I remember."

"I should have never shown you these."

"Well, I thought it would be cool to blow smoke."

Ivy shook her head. She finished her cigarette, but the two still stood outside.

"You'll be moving forward soon, too, you know." Fred said.

"I'm not sure about that one."

"Really. Listen, Ivy, George told me you fell on some hard times. He also told me that you've picked yourself up and you're trying your best. It won't be long until this," he waved his hand at the pub, "is for you."

"I'm having a hard enough time finding myself yet alone finding someone else to love."

"Finding someone else?" Fred's heart took a leap. He had those feelings, months ago, that Ivy was the one who belonged next to him rather than Katie. His engagement never felt more like a sham that it did in this moment.

"I was in love. For a very long time—too long, if you ask me. It didn't work out, clearly. I'm trying to get over it, and day by day it's getting better, but I don't think I can feel like that for anyone else. I don't want to feel it for anyone else. I'll be happy to just be rid of it one day. To forget it. To move on."

Ivy felt good saying this, especially that it was to Fred. It felt like letting go. Not entirely, but jut enough that she was honest with him.

Fred let out a laugh. A loud, singular laugh. Not that he found any of this funny, but the universe told him to laugh at that moment.

"How is it, Ives, that we've been friends since we were eleven—good friends, best friends, even—but I never knew you loved anyone? I never even gave it a thought."

Fred knew he was lying. He always knew there was something, deep down in his soul he knew there was something. Maybe he just needed Ivy to say it.

"Of course you didn't. That's how life is. The most important people who should know the most important things never learn them. We all move on and away." Ivy turned to go back inside, but Fred stopped her.

"George is getting married. I'm going to get married. Things are going to change. We're going to drift apart. Hell, George and I are going to drift apart. So right now, tell me. Maybe it'll get things off your shoulders. Maybe it'll bring us closer, or you good luck, or something. Please," Fred pleaded, "I need to be reminded that I'm still your friend. Tell me."

Ivy smiled wide—too wide. She couldn't believe what she was doing. It was more her body than it was her, but it still happened. She opened the door and before she could put a foot inside, she looked Fred straight in the eye.

"You, Fred. I love you."


	17. Burn My Mona Lisa

**Ivy's finally said it. I think I could have written this story forever and never had her say it.** **But it's time to turn over a new leaf.** **I hope you guys enjoy this one, and thanks to everyone who reads/reviews/favorites/follows! You're the best. -alienoctopus**

_I would like another chance_

George stayed at Fred's flat after his stag party, where he was hoping to sleep well into the next day. Unfortunately, his brother had other plans.

"George, I need to talk to you!" Fred yelled at his sleeping twin.

"Bloody hell, it's seven in the morning." George tossed a pillow at Fred. "Wait, give that back." He moaned.

"No, wake up. I really need to talk to you."

"Too hungover. Later."

"I haven't even slept yet. I'm going to pace a hole in the floor. I need to talk to you now." Fred thrust a Pepper-Up Potion in his twin's hands.

"All right, all right." George said before he downed the potion. He shook his head, trying to ignore the awful taste, but he immediately felt better. "What's going on?" He asked when he sat up on his bed.

"Ivy told me she loves me."

"Well, she loves all her friends, me and and—"

"—No, George, she _loves_ me. She told me she loves me."

"What?"

"Ivy's in love with me. She has been for some time. I think I always sort of knew but, well, she told me last night." Fred rattled off.

"I can't believe she told you. She can't even keep her own secrets." George exclaimed.

"Did you know?" Fred asked seriously.

"What? That she loves you? Everyone can see that, mate." George patted Fred's shoulder and stood up to get dressed. Fred pushed him back on the bed.

"Has she told you this?"

George inhaled deeply, knowing he could lie to his twin no longer. "Yeah, she told me." He admitted. Fred punched him in the chest. George knew he could punch harder.

"How could you not tell me, George?"

"Well, I thought it was rather implied when I told you to call it quits with Katie and give it a shot with Ivy, but then you came home engaged." George said. He was standing now, and Fred felt rather belittled by his physique.

It was ridiculous, and Fred and George were the same size, but George was angry with his twin. It puffed him out—it made Fred feel half his size.

Fred sat on the bed with his head in his hands.

"What do I do? I mean, I love her! You know I do."

"I know." George sat back down, but Fred still felt small.

"I should just be with her. I can just leave Katie and be with Ivy."

George opened his mouth, but didn't say what was on his tongue.

"What?" Fred asked. "Tell me."

"You can't do that." George said finally.

"Why not? It's what I want, it's what Ivy wants—"

"I don't think that's what Ivy wants."

"Then why would she tell me she loves me?"

George sighed. "Because she's moving on. Do you know how hard it's been for her to see you with Katie for five years now? Do you know what it's like to be in her shoes? To love someone but they're going to _marry_ someone else? I can't let you go professing your love to her."

"But—"

"—No. She's been trying really hard to move on from you. She's been trying to recover her life and find her own happiness. You telling her you love her will just pull her back."

It was Fred's turn to get angry. "Then what am I supposed to bloody do? Not be with the woman I love?"

"Exactly. Fred, you need to tell Katie. Not to be with Ivy, but because it's not fair to get married to her when you don't love her. Then you need to leave Ivy be. I think her admitting her feelings to you was her starting to move on."

"But if we love each other—"

"—then it'll happen. But she needs time, Fred. Ivy is trying so hard right now to move on from you, from everything, really. She's finding a place for herself. She doesn't need for you to change things again."

"Even if it's a good thing?"

"You don't know if it's a good thing. I-I don't think it will be. I think you both need time, and if you're meant to be, it'll happen."

Fred let out a long sigh. "I have to end things with Katie." He said, finally, standing up.

"Good luck, brother mine." George laid back down in bed. "Last sleep as a single man." He said. "Better enjoy it."

Fred smiled at George and left the room. A long day was ahead of him.

-0-

Ivy was deep cleaning the nightclub when she heard her name being called.

Instinctively, she went and stood behind the bar. Then she saw who called her name.

"Good afternoon, Ivy." Katie Bell stood in front of her. Ivy was sweating internally. Fred probably told her what happened last night.

Ivy had faced Death Eaters, untested Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, the moving staircases at Hogwarts, but this was the end of her. Katie was going to kill her.

"Hi, Katie. What can I do for you?" Ivy tried to sound happy to see her.

"I don't mean to bother you, I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I'm talking with the manager to book here for the reception."

"Oh? Did you guys pick a date?" Ivy's heart sank a little bit.

"No. But I decided it was time to do it myself. You wouldn't happen to be able to help us haggle the price down, would you?"

Ivy considered this. Her boss liked her, she might actually be able to help. But it seems that her confessing her love to Fred had changed nothing. He was still getting married.

"Actually, today's my last day here." Ivy said.

"Oh? What happened?"

"I'm opening up my own place." Ivy said proudly. "Sorry I can't help."

"It's all right. Maybe you'll be able to help placate Fred when he finds out I've gotten very far with the wedding plans."

Ivy fake laughed with Katie until she bid good-bye.

And then she quit.


	18. It Only Makes Sense if You're in It

**I'm on a roll with this story. Thanks for the feedback, everybody. You're all fantastic! -alienoctopus**

Fifth Year: Great Hall

_I'll be too distracted to keep track of my stars_

Sirius Black had just broken in to the Gryffindor tower. As a result, the students were sleeping in the Great Hall.  
Being the ever curious students, Fred, George, and Ivy remained awake at the very entrance of the hall, ready to explore the castle if they had the whim.

But for the moment, they were looking at the ceiling above them, watching the enchanted ceiling form the constellations from outside right above them.

"That one's the dog star, Sirius, funnily enough. It's the brightest star in the sky." Fred explained.

"I know that. I paid attention in most of our astronomy. I was asking about the constellation." Ivy said, feigning anger.

"It's Orion." George said.

The three friends looked up at the fake sky in silence.

"You ever think about falling in love?" Ivy asked quietly.

"Don't tell me you're in love with Wood-"

"-Or Diggory."

"Oliver and I were together months ago! And Cedric and I just started dating." Ivy said defensively. "Seriously, though."

"I don't think I would ever want to be in love. All of the freedom that comes with not being with anyone just gone? No thanks." Fred said.

"You don't think it'd be nice to share something with someone?"

"George and I share everything already. I don't need another person to intrude on that."

George snorted. "That's not what loving someone is like."

"How do you know?" Fred asked.

"I don't know. It's got to be a good thing, right? Otherwise, why would anyone want to do it? Mum and Dad are happy, and that's because of each other." George said.

"I guess." Fred said.

"I'd hate the be the girl you fall in love with." Ivy laughed.

Fred looked at her lying form and laughed lightly. "Yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah, she'd have to deal with your face for the rest of her life." George answered for her.

"We have the same face!"

"I dunno about that, mine feels a bit better."

Fred punched George's shoulder. "Ivy, we need a ruling. Who's the more attractive twin?" He asked.

Ivy turned her head and looked at Fred, then did the same for George. "Between the two of you? I dunno if I can choose. Can we add Percy into the mix? Instant winner right there." She joked.

"Oh, sod off." George said. "We're way better looking than Percy."


	19. You're Waiting and I Turned off My Phone

**I know I keep saying "only a few more chapters," but seriously- only a few more chapters.** **But I love the wait, you know? The wait's the best part. ** **I've been writing little flashback chapters, so not including those and not including this one, there will be two more chapters. Maybe three if I decide to break up the last one a bit.** **Thanks for sticking through this with me. -alienoctopus**

_Circlin' the block kills time_

Weddings, no matter what, if they're between two people who love each other, are beautiful.

The bride could be wearing a potato sack and still be the most beautiful woman when she says "I do."

So Angelina's beauty was incomparable when she stood in front of George in her elegant white gown.

No one could be happier for the now married couple.

Especially since they had an open bar at the reception.

"Your hair is growing back!" Fred exclaimed when he caught up with Ivy at the bar.

"Finally. I'm starting to feel pretty again." Ivy admitted.

And she was. Ivy stopped using glamour charms because she stopped caring, but lately, it's been because she began to embrace them. Most of them were fading to her skin tone. But all that aside, Ivy was finally, actually, genuinely, unrelying on anyone else, happy.

"What are you doing with Cormac McLaggen?" Fred asked Ivy. She had brought Cormac as her date to George's wedding, mainly because he was about to invest a lot of money into her brewery.

"I'm being a little bit of a gold digger, to be honest. He's going to be giving me a lot of money next week."

"For what?"

"My brewery." Ivy smiled. She and Fred stood next to the bar while her date made his way around the dance floor.

Ivy took a drink of her butterbeer and felt relaxed. She still loved Fred, but it was much easier to manage now that she was starting a better life. It was still painful, knowing that he had been the one to shut the door. She confessed her love to him and he left it at that. Despite the hurt this caused, Ivy was happy to talk to Fred with a clean conscience.

"Does it bother you that he's dancing with other witches?" Fred asked as Cormac asked another girl to dance.

"So long as he signs the check, none of it bothers me. He knows we're not serious." Ivy said. "What happened to you and Katie?" She finally asked.

Ivy had heard from George and Angie that Fred had ended things with Katie—taken back the ring and everything—but that's about it.

"She wasn't the one. It wasn't fair to Katie to get married to me if I didn't love her like she deserves to be loved."

_Fred and Katie were at her flat eating dinner that Katie prepared. Both were about to explode with what they had to say._

_"Don't get mad at me," Katie started. Fred could already feel his stomach sinking. "I chose a date for the wedding. March 23__rd__." She grinned and grabbed her book of wedding things, ready to go through invitations and decorations with the intention of actually purchasing them. "What do you think?"_

_"I think we need to break up." Fred blurted out._

_Katie was taken aback. She didn't know what she wanted to do—break down and cry, or murder Fred. "What?"_

_"Don't…don't get mad, or anything—"  
"—Don't get mad?! Sure, I won't get mad!" She yelled._

_"Listen to me. Katie," he took her hand, "You are an amazing, beautiful, intelligent witch. You deserve someone who loves you."_

_"You don't love me?" Katie decided now was the time to cry. She loved Fred—whole-heartedly, too. Maybe she thought he was a bit too immature. Maybe she didn't always like how close he and George were. But she loved Fred._

_"You need someone who can give his whole self to you. I can't do that. I can't be with you without wondering if it's right." _

_Katie looked at Fred, her eyes wide and tear-filled._

_"This is for the best. I promise." Fred took the engagement ring off Katie's finger. He kissed her one last time, only to receive a slap in return._

"How'd she take it?" Ivy asked.

"Not well. But it's for the best."

Ivy nodded.

"Besides, it doesn't even matter. Look at George." Fred said, pointing to George and Angie.

His arms draped over her back, holding her close, while Angie laid her head on George's shoulder. They were swaying slowly, despite the quick tempo of the song that was playing.

"Do you want something like that?" Fred asked Ivy.

"I don't know." She admitted. "I feel like I've just gotten a hold of myself. I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle it. You've heard George talk about Angie. I'm not yet capable of feeling something that strong, maybe."

Cormac approached the two friends and asked Ivy for a dance. She giggled. "Of course." Ivy smiled flirtatiously.

As Fred watched Ivy dance with him, he realized he wanted what George and Angie had. He knew exactly who he wanted it with, too. But she wasn't ready.

But Fred was happy to wait.


	20. I Want Heroism, Mystery and Courage

**As this comes to an end, I must ask those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited on this story to follow me as an author- especially if you like Weasley twins stories. I've got three that are being rewritten and I'm always looking for ideas of things someone wants written.** **So if you want to read a fic about something, let me know and if it's interesting, I'll do it. Is it your birthday next week and you really just want George Weasley to kiss Hermione Granger, but you've read every other story where that happens? I'll write it for you. Just let me know and I'll always consider it.** **You rock! -alienoctopus**

_I've been planning my death 'cos I want to have a really good death_

"Ivy! This place is incredible!" George exclaimed at the opening of her bar.

The place was a long room, with three long tables and several tables surrounding. The bar lined the back wall and was made of shining walnut. The name of the place, The Giant Squid, was carved into the front of the bar.

The building was slowly filling with patrons, perhaps not as many as Ivy would have liked, but she was able to talk to Angie and George with little interruption.

"Obviously, I can't serve you anything, Angie." Ivy joked with her now visibly pregnant friend.

"I wasn't going to order anything bad!" Angie exclaimed, aghast. "A lemon water will do."

Ivy got the drink swiftly.

"And what do you want, Georgie?" She smiled at her friend.

"This list is too long for me to read it all." George said, tossing the beer list back on the bar. "What do you suggest?"

"I've got a nice, simple butterbeer for the lighthearted. I suggest my red ale, I think you'd really like it. Earthy yet tangy. A bit fruity, even."

"Let's give it a try."

"I feel like I haven't seen you two since you announced the baby." Ivy said, leaning over the counter to talk to her friend.

"I think that's because you've been far busier than us." Angie noted, indicating the bar behind her."

"I owe this all to the both of you, you know. You helped me get back on my feet. You got this great location—right next to the shop, too." She grinned.

"Ivy, this is all you. You made this place. It's incredible."

"Thanks."

This was the happiest George had ever seen Ivy. She was truly in her element serving things she had made herself.

"What happened to McLaggen?" Angie asked when Ivy came back from another customer.

"Oh, that. That was nothing. Little fling to get me on my feet."

_Though it was clear from the beginning that the attention Ivy gave Cormac McLaggen was because of his investment in her brewery, the two went on for quite some time, at least through the building of the brewery, tap room, and bar._

_But Ivy, now starting to feel herself grow older and take on more real responsibilities, didn't quite feel like messing around. It wasn't as much fun anymore. Especially with Cormac._

_"And McLaggen scores again!" Cormac exclaimed as he came on Ivy's stomach. "That was a great match, love." He said before he cleaned up his mess._

_"I don't know if I can do this." Ivy said after she sat up. She put her shirt back on and looked at Cormac._

_"Blythe, I told you—we're not shagging because I'm giving you money. I have genuine interest in your business. We're shagging because we're young and attractive. It's the perk of now knowing each other." He dressed himself as well._

_Ivy cringed internally._

_"It's not that, really. I don't care about the money or the shagging. It's just… I think I'm ready to put myself out there again. So unless you want something real, I think we need to end this."_

_"I think it was agreed from the beginning that no real feelings would be involved." He grinned. But when he saw her face, Cormac softened a bit. "I understand. I'm not that big of an idiot. Everyone needs to grow up at some point."_

"How's Fred?" Ivy asked. She hadn't seen him since Angie invited everyone to the Burrow to announce her pregnancy.

"He's doing well, actually. He's taken on a bigger role at the shop now, considering I've been busy fixing up the house and helping Angie about."

"He hasn't been seeing anyone, if that's what you mean." Angie said.

"No, no. It's good to hear he's all right. It's just, I sent him an invitation for tonight's opening. I'm surprised he's not here."

"Maybe he'll show up later? We did get here rather early." Angie suggested.

Ivy nodded, though she was sure he wouldn't show. He didn't show for the groundbreaking, or the first tap.

And as the night went on, even after George and Angie left, after most of the patrons left, Ivy stayed at the bar, waiting to see if the redhead would show. She waited all night, but no one else came through the doors.


	21. Please Be Mine for 100 Years

**I'm terrified. I've decided this is the end. This is actually the final chapter. I hope it's satisfying.** **After this story, I'll be re-writing ****_The Butcher, The Baker, and the Extendable Ear Maker_****, so if you want to read a story about George falling in love with a Muggle girl, I suggest putting that on your follow list. (don't read it yet. It will be completely different very soon.)** **Once again, and finally, thank you for reading this, and everything else. You guys are the absolute best.** **-alienoctopus**

_Oh, I never thought I'd be in that place everyone went to but it really just took me a couple extra years to get there._

"How long now?" Fred asked George. They were in the flat above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes after a long, busy day.

"The Healers say two more weeks and Angie should be giving birth." George hadn't stopped smiling for nine months—even on days when his wife was wrought with mood changes and hormones. The good and the bad of it, George loved every minute.

In fact, he was so happy, Fred was beginning to get jealous. He and George would do everything together. He tried to keep up—he was engaged for most of George's engagement. The only difference being George actually ended up married from his engagement and Fred, well, Fred ended his.

But now, George really was married. He had been living with Angelina since after the war was over, so Fred was used to being alone most of the time. But now, it felt like all of the time. When it was just him and his twin, he could feel George thinking about being home.

And he and Angie were going to have a baby. In two weeks.

Fred was over the moon to be an uncle. He'd be able to help cause mischief and never be a part of the clean-up. That was the dream in raising children! None of the responsibilities—that was saved for George and Angelina—and all of the fun.

But, even in his excitement, Fred was still jealous. He wanted to be right beside his brother.

"George!" Angie's sounded in the flat. "George, where are you?" She appeared in the living room in a moment, waddling in with a large package.

"Hullo, love." George said. He stood and kissed his wife before taking the package and putting in on the coffee table.

"What's this?" Fred asked, indicating the package.

"It's addressed to me and George, not you and George." Angie snapped. Fred looked hurt. "I'm sorry, Fred. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Angie, you are due in two weeks. You're allowed to snap at me." Fred assured her.

"Well, let's open it, then!" George exclaimed, tearing the paper off the package.

Angie was disappointed. "I can't drink yet! Not until after the baby's born. Even then, I think I'm going to breastfeed…" She exclaimed.

George picked up the two bottles that were sent to them.

"This is Ivy's new brew. It took her ages to perfect, but I suppose she did."

Fred grabbed one of the bottle. "Golden Snitch? What is it?"

George turned the bottle left in his hands and read the description.

"_This golden ale begins with a heady wheat flavor and leaves delicate touches of liquid luck on your tongue! Brewed with Felix Felicis, you are guaranteed to make the right decision with this ale._ No wonder this took her ages! She had to brew Felix Felicis for it."

"There's a note." Angie pointed.

_Dear Angie and George,_

_Angie, I'm sorry for sending this while you're still pregnant. I've got a bottle with your name on it (quite literally, actually) for whenever you can drink again._

_So, George, this means you have two bottles. I suggest drinking only one. Too much can drive you insane (due to the Felix Felicis). Share the other one, or save it. It's up to you._

_It was very difficult to make sure this was legal to serve. If you've got time before I release it in the bar, I need to bounce some ideas for charms off you to regulate how much a person drinks of it._

_Anyway, I love you both (or should I say you three?). Give my love to Fred if you see him, and the rest of your family._

_-Ivy_

"Have you been to the Giant Squid yet?" George asked Fred.

"I've passed by. It's practically next door."

"It's brilliant. Ivy's practically minted from it now, and it's only been a few months." Angie said.

"You should go. Angie and I have got dinner reservations tonight, and I know you've got no dates or anything."

"I might." Fred said, staring at the wall.

"We best be off. Good night, Fred." Angie said.

"See you tomorrow, brother." The couple Flooed out of the flat.

George took one of the beer bottles with him, but left the other behind.

The snitch on the label fluttered about, as if it were flirting with Fred.

He opened it and took a sip.

"Merlin, that's good." He said. His feet felt lighter than ever before. He took another drink.

Fred felt suddenly called to that Sunday's edition of the Daily Prophet. He thumbed through the pages, not exactly paying attention, until he saw a pair of eyes he knew better than George's.

Ivy's hair had grown back, longer and better than before. She looked gorgeous—scars and all. He looked over the headline "The Giant Squid: A Little Bit of Muggle and a Little Bit of Fun."

Fred traced the photo of Ivy, who, every few seconds would wink and lift a pint.

She looked older, even though Fred had seen her only a few months before. But she looked much more sophisticated than he remembered. Perhaps it was the genuine smile she flashed at the camera—or maybe it was the dress she wore, which was neither too short nor too revealing. Her wand was delicately tucked into the belt of the dress, which swished when she raised the glass.

He looked over the piece. It was a two-page interview with Ivy.

**What does the Giant Squid have to offer that, say, the Leaky Cauldron or the Hog's Head doesn't?**

_I don't want to make it seem like those aren't good places. They're the best, honestly. Classic pubs. But the Giant Squid is different. I took a lot of inspiration from the Muggle world, actually, where your options are far beyond mead, firewhisky, and butterbeer. _

_I went to a few different places before the Giant Squid was under construction, and a lot of Wizarding communities have begun to embrace Muggle innovation._

_Now, I'm not clever enough to work with Muggle technologies and such, so I used Muggle ideas to enhance something I know well: drinks. The Giant Squid offers the variety that the Muggle world has, as well as Wizarding classics._

**Why the Giant Squid?**

_The Giant Squid just brings back memories of Hogwarts for me. Hogwarts now isn't just where I spent seven years of school. It's where I lost people I love. It's where I fought for my life and the lives of others. It's a huge part of history._

Fred glanced over the rest of the interview, not exactly taking in the words on the page, until he saw the last question.

**It's hard to believe you're not seeing anyone. You're young, successful, attractive, and you know how to hold your liquor. What gives?**

_That's a heavy question. I'm not sure. A lot of it is that I've been so busy with the bar that dating has been put in the back of my mind. Then some of it is that I'm not sure if I'm ready for anything yet. I've given my heart to others before and it all—well, it was never at all bad, but clearly didn't work out. Relationships, and love, it's all great. It's just not for me right now._

"Bullshit." Fred said to the paper. "Bullshit, Ivy. You and I are in love. You know it, I know it. That's why we don't want anyone else." He threw the Prophet aside and gulped down the rest of his drink.

"I'll show you." He muttered as he threw on a robe and headed outside. Before he knew it, Fred found himself inside the Giant Squid. It was busier than he could have ever expected. But even amongst the crowd of witches and wizards he both recognized and had never seen before, he could still spot her.

"Ivy!" He called out to behind the bar. Ivy was clearly overworked, but she was grinning. Fred's insides warmed and he called her again. He caught her attention.

"Fred! I haven't seen you in here!" Her cheeks were flushed and Fred immediately asked, "Can you take a break? Meet me outside?"

She looked around. "I don't know, it's really busy."

"Please."

Ivy turned to the bartender next to her and profusely apologized.

"You have me for five minutes! I really need to be inside, especially after my Daily Prophet interview!"

"I saw that. You looked great."

"Thank you. So, what was so urgent that you needed me outside?" She asked once the door behind them closed.

A million things went through Fred mind in one moment. Apologies, professing his love, turning around and going home… but there was one shining thing that he felt he needed to do. He kissed her.

Ivy stood in shock for all of one second before she gave in to Fred's kiss. He was the luckiest man in the world.

"Is this real?" She asked. "This isn't like before—this is it?"

"This is it," Fred said, breaking out in a smile, "This is real."

-0-

It could be said that Fred and Ivy were in love at eleven years old.

It took them three years to kiss.

Ten years for Ivy to admit her feelings. Fourteen years for Fred to admit his.

It took fifteen years for them to finally get together.

After that, it took three days for them to make love.

_"Fred, don't you dare stop," Ivy yelled out when Fred hesitated to remove her pants. "I've waited too long for this to happen and by Merlin's saggy bollocks, it's going to happen."_

_"Whoa, calm down, Ives. Keep your pants on—or rather," Fred winked at her._

_In seconds, Ivy had both their clothes removed and in a pile on the floor._

_She was giggling as Fred tickled her sides. He kissed the fading, lightening-like scars. He licked across her neck._

_Ivy grinned up at him before he kissed her full on the lips._

_He began to flick her pointed nipples with one hand as the other moved to the small of her back, lifting her into a seated position._

_"Nah-uh, Mr. Weasley. I'm going to run the show here." Ivy laughed and flipped Fred onto the bed. She straddled his waist and bent down to kiss him. She moved her body down slowly as she left light, wonderful kisses down his chest and abdomen and down to his scrotum._

_"Are you ready, Fred?" She asked coyly._

_"I've been ready."_

_Ivy plunged herself onto Fred's erect cock, using his shoulders as leverage. Fred let a loud moan escape his lips._

_"That's what I thought you'd say."_

It took two months for them to move in with each other.

One year for the proposal—which was unconventional, as Ivy proposed to Fred.

_"Oi! You arsehole!" Ivy yelled at Fred across the joke shop. Giggles could be heard throughout the aisles, as Ivy's hair was standing on end._

_"What are you yelling about?" He grinned at her._

_"You did this! I have a huge meeting today."_

_"Do you? I wouldn't know. I'm George." Fred lied._

_"I'm not stupid, Fred. I know you're not George."_

_"How would you know? We're twins."_

_Ivy took a deep breath and walked towards Fred. "Because when I look at you, I'm not even angry about this anymore. I look at you and I can't think of anything aside from how brilliantly clever you are. How you'll always get one by me—and I don't even mind, really. If I were looking at George, I'd be screaming my head off." Ivy's voice was near a whisper now._

_"When I look at you, I want nothing else."_

_Fred was grinning with pride. Ivy, the best witch he knew, just told all of his customers that he's the one she wants._

_"Fred Weasley, do you want to get hitched?" She asked bluntly._

_"What?"_

_"You, me, the long haul. I want to do it. Do you?"_

_"Think of the tax breaks!" He exclaimed._

_"Is that a yes?"_

_Fred grabbed Ivy's waist and kissed her. "You'll have to do something about that hair, but, yes. Yes, I'll marry you."_

Two weeks into planning the wedding, Fred and Ivy eloped.

_"I love your family, but each of them wants something specific for the wedding. Now, I don't mind George's fireworks or anything, but we don't need a dozen bridesmaids, and no, I don't want a crown of ivy in my hair because my name is Ivy, and—"_

_"—Why don't we just go get married?" Fred offered._

_"We are getting married, you dolt."_

_"No. I mean let's go to the Ministry right now and get married. Loads of people do it. We don't need a big ceremony."_

_"Fred Weasley turning down a big ceremony celebrating him? What has the world come to?"_

_"How about we go get married, and then at dinner on Friday we'll tell everyone, and then we'll throw a massive party?"_

_"So long as it's not at Greensnake." Ivy said._

_"Of course it won't be. It'll be at your place. It's free, you know." Fred smiled at his bride-to-be._

_"Let's go get married."_

After they married, it was three years before their first child.

In the seven years after their first child, Fred and Ivy had four more: Vera, the oldest; Gideon and Fabian, the twins; Orion, the only one not to have Fred's hair; and finally, April, the youngest.

Fred didn't care that he took longer than George to settle down, because he wouldn't have been happy if he didn't. He wouldn't have married his best friend—the girl he was always meant to be with.

the end


	22. Extra! Extra! Extra!

Hey, guys! Thank you all for reading this story. It was crazy fun to write.

So, I had songs in the chapter titles and at the beginning of each chapter. I figure it's only fair to let you know what songs they are. A lot are from the same songs. Some titles aren't from anything.

I've labeled everything here. You're going to see A LOT of Jeff Rosenstock. Lots of one song from Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Two: (Title and quote) "Teenager" by Jeff Rosenstock

-Chapter Three: (Quote) "Teenager" by Jeff Rosenstock

-Chapter Four: (Title) "The Internet is Everywhere" by Jeff Rosenstock. (Quote) "80's Through the 50's" by Jeff Rosenstock.

-Chapter Five: (Title and Quote) "Felt Just Like Vacation" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Six: (Quote) "Future 86" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Seven and Eight: (Title and Quote) "Felt Just Like Vacation" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Nine: (Quote) "Felt Just Like Vacation" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Ten: (Title) "I'm Serious, I'm Sorry" by Jeff Rosenstock. (Quote) "Felt Just Like Vacation" by Bomb the music Industry!

-Chapter Eleven: (Quote) "Felt Just Like Vacation" by Bomb the Music Industry! (ok, this is getting ridiculous)

-Chapter Twelve: (Title) "A Shine to It" by Laura Stevenson and the Cans. (Quote, I mean, come on, really) "Felt Just Like Vacation" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Fourteen: (Title) "Bang!" by Antarctigo Vespucci. (Quote) "Get Old Forever" by Jeff Rosenstock.

-Chapter Fifteen: (Quote) "Teenager" by Jeff Rosenstock

-Chapter Sixteen: (Title) "Get Old Forever" by Jeff Rosenstock. (Quote) "Everybody That You Love" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Seventeen: (Title and Quote) "Darkness Records" by Jeff Rosenstock.

-Chapter Eighteen: (Title) "Sometimes" by Antarctigo Vespucci. (Quote) "Mystery Pills" by Antarctigo Vespucci.

-Chapter Nineteen: (Title and Quote) "The Trash The Trash The Trash" by Jeff Rosenstock.

-Chapter Twenty: (Title and Quote) "Planning My Death" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-Chapter Twenty-One: (Title) "100 Years" by Antarctigo Vespucci. (Quote) "Campaign for a Better Weekend" by Bomb the Music Industry!

-A Shine to It: (Title) "A Shine to It" by Laura Stevenson and the Cans

Once, again, thank you so much for reading this story.

If you want to read another Weasley twin/OC story, check out "Yes, And," something I'm currently working on.

Love you guys!

-alienoctopus


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